


Dragon Claims and Human Change

by selim_nagisokrov



Series: Dragon Claims and Human Change [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-07
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-13 10:28:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 70,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/502531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selim_nagisokrov/pseuds/selim_nagisokrov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hiccup didn't know it, but he's been chosen as a Dragon Mate. The world as he knows it changes, leaving him to decide – does he stay with humans or move on with dragons?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Dragon Claims and Human Change](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2376674) by [IfTheyFitIShip (lenayuri)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenayuri/pseuds/IfTheyFitIShip)



> I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. This is a piece of fiction and all persons and events are fictional. There is no profit being made from this work.

Even though his father had all but begged him to stay inside, Hiccup knew he couldn't stay locked in the protective shelter with the other, weaker Vikings. There was just something about today's aura that told him he needed to be out there – had to be. Wrapping the bundle in his arms tightly with blankets, he slipped out the door, past the whimpering masses and towards the newly appointed battlegrounds. This was perhaps the worst dragon attack ever…

Taking a deep breath, he slid past Gobber, who had probably been assigned to babysit him, and into the crisp, fiery air. His bundle mewed, shifting to escape its unbearable confines. Hiccup was unrelenting of his decision to keep the infant, his son, bundled from the fires outside. His own skin already had a twinge of soft red from the heat, promising to blister if he stayed out any longer. He winced at the thought.

A low wing had him ducking from cover, taking towards the smithy. The open archway gave him ample time to look into the lit night sky, taking in all the dragons. Zipplebacks, with their long two heads, set houses ablaze while looking for…something. The Nadder flew overhead, directing the attacks with a low growl. Gronckles tended to distract the villagers, riding low and looking more bulky than they actually were. A Terrible Terror scuffled around under his foot, looking small and forgotten. It glanced at him with its beady yellow eyes, hissed lowly before darting through the town like an annoying rat. Above head, the night sky lit up as a Nightmare made itself look imposing.

No, Hiccup realized, it was being a signal.

The attacks lightened up and the little Viking made his way past other Vikings who only gave him an annoyed look. Some even tried to jostle him back to safety, reminding him that the outside was no place for someone so small and clumsy. "He's coming." Hiccup whispered, pushing past them to the center of town where a lookout was. He stumbled up the wooden panels, trying to reach the top while the random dragon darted past him, never touching.

"Hiccup! Get back to safety!"

His father.

"This is my fault!" Hiccup cried out, continuing up. "I'll get them to stop!"

"Boy!" His father was on his trail, moving faster than Hiccup could ever dream of being. Big arms wrapped around his waist, picking him up before he could reach the top step. "Gobber!" He wrestled to get his only son back down the pillar but Hiccup was adamant. He has to get up there; the dragon leader had to see him and his precious one. "I won't lose you again, son!"

"You have to do this!" Hiccup cried out. "I'll be all right – trust me!" He brought his elbow up, hitting his father upside the chin. Like always, it did little to deter his bigger father but it did draw attention to the pillar from the one dragon that was barely seen in the night. The pillar rocked at the big dragon's weight as it came to a stop at the top, watching them with big yellow-green eyes full of anger. Hiccup broke out of his father's hold, repositioned his bundle in his arms and made his way up the final stairs.

His father's hand fell on his own but was shaken off as Hiccup approached the beast that was so much smaller than some of the other dragons now pillaging the village but so much more powerful. It made his heart flutter, his nerves shake and his body wanting more. He opened the blankets, letting his bundle out into the open for the first time. Besides his father and midwifes, no one had seen his little boy and he doubted the people of Berk could see the baby this late at night.

"So you've finally come to take us back, Toothless."

~*~

Hiccup the Useless had encountered his first dragon when he was ten. He'd been down by the river, tossing sticks into the sky and trying to feel more like a Viking warrior than a painful sore on his father's hide when he hit something. Jerking back, he gazed over the green foliage, looking for what. Yellow-green eyes gazed back at him, but he didn't notice. His senses weren't as trained as the warriors in his village and, although tense and sure he'd hit something, he continued through the woods to his favorite cove.

He didn't see the dragon when it jumped him, pushing his small body into the mud and muck. Trying to crawl out from under the heavier body, he screamed and fought, yelling as many obscenities as he could to make it not want to eat him but he knew words would get him nowhere as a mouthful of sharp teeth came towards his head with a dangerous growl.

And like that, the creature was gone, off his back and moving towards the water. Hiccup rolled over on his back, looking over the dragon that had just spared his life. All black and catlike, it was something he'd never seen before – and that scared him. There were only a handful of known dragons in Berk and this wasn't a listed one in the book. He held his fur vest for dear life, watching the dragon as it moved around the lake, watching the fish swim. His long tail slithered back and forth before he dived under, returning only seconds later with what looked like he had a full gullet.

Hiccup could only watch the thing as it regurgitated the food before happily working through the array of fish, mouthful at a time. He moved around the content dragon, watching his footing as he made his way closer to the unknown reptile. Think little thoughts, he told himself as he got within the dragon's attack range. It didn't do anything, just watched him irritably, a fish dangling from its lips. It sucked the up trout in before going back to eating his pile.

Not even a tail length away from the dragon, Hiccup jerked away when a fish skidded in front of him, the thing coming to a dead stop at his boots. He raised his arms back, unsure if this was an attack or an offering. Judging by how the dragon went back to eating, contently, he was going to say an offering. He bypassed the fish, however, and made it a few steps closer, almost able to touch the dragon. It turned over its shoulder, a deep hiss escaping its lipless mouth.

Hiccup slid back, tripping over his feet as the next sound towards him was a screech, directly in front of his face. A Night Fury, his mind cried out. He was going to die. He hadn't even told his father he loved him when he left, too mad to even talk to the bulking Viking who had implied that they village could do without Hiccup being so 'Hiccup-y'. He bit his bottom lip, trying to prepare himself for the onslaught of attacks. Nothing happened, leaving him to crack open his eye and watch the dragon stalk away to his food

How strange…

He'd been warned about Night Fury's of course but this one wasn't playing by the rules. It was watching him but out of interest. Hiccup fell to his knees in front of the fish gift he'd been given, looking over the meal. The big dragon perked up, watching Hiccup and the fish. Putting his hands under the fish, Hiccup picked up the item, alarmed by its size. He'd seen fish in the cove, sure, but never this big! He carried the item to the dragon's pile, dropping it on top.

The dragon's head turned back, its mouth opening some.

"Hey! Where'd all your teeth go?" Hiccup leaned forward.

The dragon snapped at his fingers, teeth suddenly there. When Hiccup jumped back, the dragon returned to eating his pile, his large wings raised behind him. Hiccup rolled his shoulders, trying to relieve the fear deep within him. So far the dragon hadn't done anything to him that should warrant all this fear. He'd been territorial but not scarily so. All smoke and no fire, Hiccup decided as he approached the dragon again. This time he came in from the side, reaching for the large wings.

One folded back before suddenly pushing out, knocking the little human to the side. Hiccup grunted when he hit the ground, equally surprised when the weight remained on him, the dragon's wing flopped back to keep him pinned. It was heavy and warm, like a comfortable blanket. He wiggled and rolled, trying to escape from under the dragon. His back slid across rocks and dirt, his shirt riding up, his vest falling open. After a few attempts, Hiccup found himself giggling.

All fear of this Night Fury disappeared as he called out, mockingly, from under the wing, "Toothless! Toothless!" The wing disappeared and the dragon rolled on him, heavy and bigger than the wing had ever been. The creature bared sharp teeth, contrasting to the nickname being given to him but Hiccup was having way too much fun to back down. Sharp nails raked along his form, leaving a coil in the child's belly.

Laughter escaped from his lips. His sides! He forgot how ticklish he was! He squealed in delight when the dragon repeated that nail motion purposely.

"Ha! Toothless! Toothless!" The child screamed out again, shaking like a leaf from all the excitement.

Sharp white teeth bore again, this time nipping at his chin. It didn't scare him; it left another pleasant feeling around him. The growl of the bulky dragon, the scratching of claws along his side, the breath against his collarbone, it was too much. He was doubled over with laughter, begging the creature to let him up – he couldn't take it anymore. He squealed when sharp teeth clamped against his collarbone. What should have been painful only made him laugh. A wing tip brushed against his neck and the child wheezed heavily. The teeth retracted, brushing its gums along his collar.

Panting, the child plopped against the ground. His senses returned, his fingers moving to his collar awkwardly. "Y, you bit me." He whimpered, suddenly. He thought they'd been playing…

"Hiccup!"

He and the dragon jumped. The creature retracted his wings, growling at the Viking running towards them. Hiccup tightened his vest around his small frame, trying to hide the bite his friend had given him but it was too late. His father had seen enough to draw his own conclusions. The mallet slammed forward, towards the dragon's skull but it missed as the Night Fury took off into the air, leaving the child and his meal behind.

Dropping to his knees in front of his son, Stoick gathered his child in his arms, looking over the damage caused by the dragon. Hiccup's fingers grazed over the bite, unsure how to handle this. The dragon's mouth looked powerful, why didn't he just take the entire shoulder? His father didn't answer that, firmly telling him that dragons never played by the rules. He clung onto his parents bulking shoulders as the man brought him back in the villages to be thoroughly inspected

It would be months later before the next dragon attack. While his father bought with the Viking Warriors, Hiccup was ordered to stay inside – incase that dragon came back to finish what he started. Hiccup shook his head, as if the Night Fury would waste time looking for a weak Viking who couldn't even pass Dragon Camp. The little Viking curled up on his bed, arms wrapped around his body. He was supposed to take shelter in the armory but he didn't want to leave his home. All he could think about were the others, the kids who had passed their exam and were now out with their parents, protecting the village. Didn't his dad understand his worries?

How was he supposed to become a man if he would always be seen as a kid? A woman didn't want a Viking who couldn't defend against their ever-present enemy, the dragons.

Something dropped on the roof. Eyes snapping open, Hiccup looked towards the ceiling, waiting for it to collapse or set fire. He was too scared to move even though it was vital that he get out of that house. He screamed when he saw yellow-green eyes at his window followed by the shift of the night. Something scuffled in his room, becoming apparent only in contrast to his small room. Camouflaged no more, the Night Fury sat on its hind legs, looking at Hiccup with interest.

"Toothless!" It growled lowly but Hiccup ignored the wing trying to slap against the top of his head. "No, wait, you're a dragon-!" He tried to get around the creature, to grab his battle axe still leaning against the wall. He only accomplished having his body thrown back against his bed, the large reptile scuttling on his floor to get closer. Scared, Hiccup waited for teeth to snap at him but it never did.

Opening his eyes, Hiccup frowned when he saw – clamped in the Night Fury's toothless jaw – was a toy. Reaching out, the child took the wood carving from the dragon, looking over the intricate design. "It looks like you." He whispered, dumbly. The dragon sat back, looking pleased. "I, is this for me?" The child asked. When the dragon nodded, Hiccup felt his jaw hit the ground, the animal understood him! His grip on the toy tightened. "T, today's the start of my eleventh summer." He smiled, hugging the toy to his chest. His father had given him that battle axe he wanted earlier and now the dragon had given him a toy. "Where did you get this?"

The dragon made a purr noise, head flicking back in pride.

If Hiccup didn't know better, he would think the dragon was trying to tell him he made it. "Yea, well…thanks. This is nice." He tucked the toy in his hands. The dragon cooed and pressed its flat nose against Hiccup's face. Unsure what to do, Hiccup allowed it, holding his toy in the air. He climbed out of his bed, shuffling through the room, the wooden dragon raised gracefully high in the air. "Ah! It's another Night Fury!" He moved around the room, swinging the toy around while making small 'whooshing' noises.

Toothless danced around him, jumping from various objects to join the play. Every so often his tail would flick around, swatting at Hiccup, but it went unnoticed as the two played games. The village being attacked made no connection with Hiccup's mind as he enjoyed his time with his new friend until the creatures head shot up to a loud roar in the distance. His tongue lapped at Hiccup's face before he flew out the window, cooing in the sky before disappearing in the night.

Hiccup giggled, clutching the toy to his chest before rushing to get his boots on when the village sounded the horn that the dragons had all fled.

His father remained unaware of these visits.

At sixteen, Hiccup was on a mission. He only had a few hours before nightfall and he didn't want to miss out on his window of opportunity. If experience had taught him anything, wherever he was, Toothless was sure to follow – especially on the eve of his birth. Grabbing a sack from the pantry, Hiccup ignored the questioning gaze of his father as he went about the houses collecting items.

"You're in a rush." His father watched him. "Perhaps, instead of playing out in the woods, you should stay back and train with the kids for the next dragon exam." His words seemed neutral enough but for Hiccup they were an attack on how he'd failed that exam again – for the fifth time. He was tired of it all, no longer feeling the urge to fight dragons like other Vikings wanted to. After meeting Toothless, he didn't feel like he was much of a Viking to begin with. His father was the only thing keeping him in this village instead of going out to find other villages.

"I told you, I'm going to be a blacksmith." His designs and inventions had won a lot of respect where his fighting skill had caused nothing but ridicule. One of the items in his bag was a saddle he specifically created for Toothless. The dragon didn't know it, but they were going to fly tonight.

"Son, you can do that when the dragons have ripped off your limbs—"

"Like Gobber?" Hiccup grabbed his elbow. "You want to wait until I'm nothing but a stump of a torso and then go into something I'm actually good at?" He didn't mean it. He still looked up to his father but he no longer wanted to give up his morals to be like all the other Vikings. His father sighed, running a hand through his long red beard. He always spoiled his son, especially after his wife passed on but there were some things he would never slacken on.

"Go tonight. You have another exam in two days with the kids." He brushed off his son. As Hiccup was leaving the room, he heard his father whisper under his breath, "I just don't know what's wrong with that boy, Valhallaram, but may Thor look out for him."

Shifting his bag, Hiccup darted into the woods. His green eyes focused on the ground, watching the dirt being kicked around by his feet. His eyes stung, tears tucking in the corner. He skidded into the cove, throwing his items to the ground before releasing a rough scream. "I hate him!" He kicked the ground. He panted and screamed, pacing the area like a hungry dragon before he finally found the will to cool down.

Dropping to his knees by the stream, Hiccup began fishing, collecting enough trout to tide the dragon over so he could slip the saddle on the unsuspecting dragon. He was pulling out the first collection of trapped fish when he felt a heavy weight bump into him, pushing his small frame into the water.

Spitting dirty pond water from his mouth, he glared at Toothless, out hours before he usually was. "You ruined the surprise." He spat climbing out of the pond, his clothes weighted down by water and a stray fish. Plucking the annoying animal from his tunic, he tossed it haphazardly in the air, no longer impressed that Toothless caught it mid-fall. Opening his burlap sack, he pulled out the leather saddle he'd been working on for months, the design constantly changing as he watched Toothless body move. No need to make this uncomfortable for the dragon, he hummed softly.

"Toothless!" He cried out joyously. The dragon looked up from his private fishing, watching the teen with some annoyance. At least, Hiccup giggled to himself, he wasn't as sensitive to the nickname. "Come here for a second, I have something for you." The dragon did. "Stay!" He held his hands up, signaling stop. The dragon did, playfully. His paw remained in the air, just above Hiccup's head while Toothless slowed his breathing to become a statue. A chuckle escaped from Hiccups mouth, enjoying the dragon's antics – they never ceased to amuse him.

Ducking around the dragon, the Viking snapped the harness on. He worked fast at the task, especially as he felt the dragon stiffen under him. "There!" Hiccup jumped back, watching with a pleasant smile as Toothless sniffed at the new accessory on him. He shook his form, trying to throw the item off but it didn't work. "I want to ride this summer." He grabbed his friend by the side of his face, rubbing the scales just under his chin. The lizard cooed, dropping to the ground, giving the human plenty of time to try mounting.

One foot in the harness, he felt the reptilian attempt to shake him loose, tossing him aside. Hiccup grunting as his body hit the ground and two black feet stamped over him. Toothless leaned in, his fangs glistening in his mouth. Hiccup's heart pounded in his chest. Run, idiot! He kicked back, pushing away from the dragon. His next move was to twist and prepare to thrust himself out from under the heavy reptile. Feet ready, he sprang forward – only to have his body pushed into the dirt, sharp fangs against the nape of his neck.

"Get away from him you devil!"

"Dad!" Hiccup felt his heart quicken. The teeth ripped into his vest, grabbing him up and stuffing him in the saddle. Instinctively, he grasped on the leather handles when he felt the wind rush to his head.

The ground disappeared under him. He was flying!

Reaching for the dragon's neck, he winced as Toothless narrowly dodged his father's weapon, shooting back a fireball that was easily extinguished by the powerful Viking leader. The dragon hissed and started high in the air, his passenger clinging on for dear life as the clouds rushed beneath him. He was going to die! He clenched tightly to the harness again, just feeling his body slide out from under. The ground was too far away, he'd be nothing if he fell from this altitude. "Toothless! Take me back!" He kicked his legs wildly but the dragon ignored him, straightening out along the clouds with a screech into the heavens.

Faintly Hiccup could see Berk under them, disappearing as they went farther away, to the rigid north that all the dragons seemed to flood after battle.

Knowing he was stuck, Hiccup kept close, pressed against the warmth of the dragon as he was taken away from society and through a magical field he barely noticed existed.


	2. Chapter 2

They traveled into the night, Hiccup clutching the dragons back while warding off sleep. He wanted to see his final moments, to know what killed him at the Dragons Nest. He shivered in the cold air, clutching to Toothless as the breeze shot straight up. Above him he saw a Nightmare materialize out of nowhere, a goat locked in her claws. Hiccup blushed when the other dragons golden eyes met his and she growled.

Beneath him, Toothless shifted, his voice crowing across the expanse of space. The Nightmare hissed back before changing directions. Red in the face, because deep down he knew they were fighting about him, Hiccup shifted in the saddle, trying to reposition his sleeping legs. "I want to go down." He whispered against Toothless' ear. The appendage folded back and the dragon's speed picked up, pushing through the heavy clouds until finally land appeared in the distance.

Eyes wide, Hiccup stretched to look over the dragons head. It was a huge castle surrounded by miniature cottages around it. Like Milsebok in the East, it was a towering accomplishment of man – well, dragon. Around it, obvious forms of dragons moved around like birds, populating the land. Every so often one would fly past Hiccup in either one of two forms – dragon or a man-like creature.

The man-like, so similar to him, were tall men and women of scales, flat faces, a horn (depending on their kind of dragon), their demonic wings and tail. Hiccup watched one fly past him, stopping long enough to look. Such a tall woman! He swallowed, considering her blue scaly face, elongated jaw and razor-sharp teeth. The multiple horns on her head twitched as she watched him before continuing her flight pattern. Hiccup craned his neck to watch her spiny tail disappear into the puff of clouds he and Toothless had come from.

Was Toothless like that Nadder?

They began their descent slowly, Toothless' form changing under the Viking's hold until Hiccup was clutched around a strong, solid neck of a dark blue humanoid. Glowing yellow eyes looked over at him from a flat snout, the dragon-man stretching his wings once to dislodge Hiccup. Dropping to the ground, the Viking sat on his hands, unsure what to do. Running seemed like a good idea but there was so many dragons…

Another dragon-man stepped over to them, towering over Toothless. His orange face and yellow eyes looked into Hiccup's soul, but he didn't say anything out right. His voice was a low growl with a crackle in his voice. Toothless responded in a similar fashion, trying to remove the saddle that slid down his hips. The orange dragon-man (a Nightmare, Hiccup realized) stepped forward, helping Toothless out of the contraption. It was dropped carelessly, the leather snaps breaking apart. Hiccup couldn't find the will to be mad that his hard work was being pushed aside.

"Where am I?" He shouted. His body felt tense, ready to give out on him. "Toothless! I want to go home!"

His dragon, the creature he considered his friend until recently, turned back towards him, head leaning back. A scaled brow rose into the air but it didn't stay like that for long as he crossed his arms over his broad, naked chest. Hiccup swallowed, considering all the muscles that Toothless had in this form, going down his stomach before hiding behind ceremonial bottoms. The dragon stepped forward, a big hand falling on Hiccup's head.

" _This is our home, little one._ " He purred.

Hiccup pushed the hand from his hair, the claws scratching his scalp. "Take me home, Toothless! My dad was really worried!" He never saw such terror on his father's face until he was heading into the heavens on the dragon he wanted to mount. His father probably wasn't fairing well without someone at home taking care of him. Such busy chiefs didn't have time to make meals or clean up and who would open the smithy in the morning if he was all the way up here?

The same purrs were his answer – with the addition of a cooing at the end that was so low pitch to his ear. Toothless was trying to grab his hands, his scaly hands felt so strange in Hiccup's own and finally everything began to take its toll on the human who dropped to the ground, eyes wide. Was he…a prisoner here? The dragons  _were_ at war with the humans – was he a casualty of that endless war?

"Get me out of here! Help!" He rushed to one of the stone walls, sealing the town from the castle. "Gobber! Dad! Someone! Help me!" He slammed his fist to the wall several times, knowing it would have no effect on anything. He was so far away from Berk and he doubted there was a real human anywhere. "Somebody…" He slid to his knees, pushing the tears from his eyes.

Over his own pity, he didn't hear nor see the other dragon-man enter the grounds. The short creature, a Gronckle, was shorter than the rest of the demons and much plumper. His aged green scales had taken on a yellow, adding to the feel of his position amongst the dragons. The Gronckle glanced between the crying child and the Night Fury. " _What is this noise, Njáll?_ "

The Night Fury's hand fell on Hiccup's head, drawing his attention. Looking at the Gronckle, Hiccup sniffled, using his wrist to blow his nose. Somehow that one dragon, worn with age, made all this more bearable. It didn't look like it could ever hurt a fly. " _He's my mate – the one I told you about._ "

The Gronckle nodded. "Child." His yellow eyes lost focus, his voice raspy with rare human speech. Hiccup fell over, looking at the creature.

"Y, you can talk!" The teen cried out.

"As can you, Child." The Gronckle leaned on a walking stick, kicking his weight fully propped up. His tiny wings flickered to life for a moment before giving up. "Do calm down, your voice is drawing unnecessary attention. We don't usually have humans here, hm…" The dragon grumbled, his unfocused eyes falling on Toothless. The dark Night Fury growled back. Figuring the two were having a conversation he wasn't part of (be perhaps being spoken about), Hiccup moved to the other side of the docking area, looking around at the dragons flying in the sky. It was wonderment but it wasn't home. He still felt nervous, especially knowing he was in the Dragon's Nest.

His dad would never believe this.

Toothless hissing brought his attention back to his dragon as the Night Fury stormed off, leaving Hiccup in the company of unknown dragons. Grabbing his vest between his hands, the boy shifted nervously as the Gronckle held up an arm, asking the Viking follow him into the grand castle. The little dragon walked slowly, his steps perhaps deliberate as Hiccup took in his surroundings. His fear lowered quickly as he watched various dragons bow in honor to the little Gronckle, suggesting his power over every one there.

Even Toothless had listened to him.

"Who are you?" Hiccup tilted his head to the side.

"Isn't it human custom to introduce yourself first?" The Gronckle grumbled.

The human bit back the cold remark at the tip of his tongue. The Gronckle was correct… "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." The boy tightened his grip on the fur vest he was wearing.

The dragon nodded. "Hiccup." He said the name uncertainly. "I am the Second Ruler of the Dragons of Hadak, Yngvölun." Hiccup stuck his tongue out at the thought of pronouncing _that_ , so laced with dragon accent and gruff. "But I believe your people call my race a Gronckle. Just call me Gronky, Child." Gronky leaned on his walking stick as they waited for two large Nightmare Dragon-men to open wide doors. When admitted into a grand hall, Hiccup followed close behind, not trusting the snarls coming his way.

"When can I go home?" Hiccup tried again, sure to get a straight answer for the Human-Speaking dragon.

Gronky's already slow walk came to an abrupt stop before shaking his head on his non-existent neck. "That, Child, won't be as easy. It appears you've become a target of Njáll's selfishness." The dragon continued on his walk, climbing onto a stone throne. He was a stark contrast to the environment around him, the only color in the entire room. Hiccup waited for the dragon to continue confused. "How long have you had Njáll's mark on you?"

Hiccup self-consciously touched his shoulder. The mark… He'd hidden it for years, ashamed of the lies the village had told of its origins. They said he'd been attacked by a dragon and, for awhile, he almost bought that story. It occurred to him only later that Toothless probably had been playing and took the game too far. "Is 'Njáll' Toothless?"

"Is that what humans call his kind?"

"No but I call him…" Hiccup paused. Why was he explaining himself to a dragon? He had asked a straight forward question and had yet to get an answer. "Six summers ago he bit me. What does that have to do with me going home?"

Gronky shifted his cane, leaning forward in his seat. "The problem lies that the heir to my throne has chosen you, a mere human child, to be his mate and bear his young."

"Oh, is that all- Wait," Hiccup grabbed the dragon by his wing, "mate? You mean-" He cupped his hands, eyes wide. He didn't...he couldn't...Could dragons and humans? They were... His face turned red as he continued, "Young? Dragon's? Why am I..." He moved his hands to his mouth. He couldn't breathe! Why was this room so small? He pushed past the Gronckle, towards the wide doors, ignoring the dragons that stepped around him. Breathing fast, he was panicking. He kept moving until Toothless stood in front of him, the dragon wide and tall. Hiccup froze, staring at the dragon that put him in this situation.

The dragon that wanted to mate with him - meaning put his...thing - wait, where? Hiccup coughed, unable to breath in. Toothless' arms around his center did not help. He couldn't see-

Toothless whine in his ear was the last thing he felt before he lost consciousness.

Hiccup regained consciousness in the softest bed he'd ever been in, curled against a fire without catching blaze himself. Groaning, he pooled his head against the firm wall he was tucked against and willed himself back to sleep – and then he remembered the events of yesterday. Jerking up, he looked around his surroundings before looking down at the 'fire' he'd been contently snuggling. Toothless slept on, curled on his side, wings thrown over Hiccup.

"Argh! Get away from me!" Hiccup pushed at Toothless' wing, trying to force the dragon over. The bulky figure didn't move, just cracked open an eye, snorted, and curled into a tight ball. Hiccup groaned when the wing pushed him back into the bed and an arm landed over his chest, a tail over his legs. He was pinned. "Let me go! You damn useless reptile!" He pushed on Toothless' chest, trying the budge the dragon-man. Finally, the reptile released his hold, letting Hiccup slide to the floor.

A soft purr escaped from the dragon, his wings retracting back as he pulled himself up, stretching widely. Hiccup glowered. How dare Toothless act all innocent!

"And what are you doing snuggling me! I'm  _not_  your mate! I like girls not..." He scrutinized the dragon. He may have stood on two legs like a human but he was still a dragon. He still had scales and claws and a tail and wings… "Argh! I want to go home! Are you listening to me?  _Home_!" He drawled out the word, getting in the scaled beast face.

Toothless licked his nose. Hiccup swatted him across the snout.

Slumping on the bed, arms crossed across his chest, the teen stuck out his bottom lip. "The least you could do is speak to me." The dragon growled lowly. "I mean human! Like Gronky does! I might cool down if I knew exactly what was going on!" He shifted on his bed. "And what does a human have to do to get food? Food!" He pushed on Toothless' side. The dragon got up, baring his naked form to the world.

Hiccup's jaw dropped, his hands coming up to cover his eyes, feeling the blood rush to his face. He was never going to get that image out of his head.

His ears picked up the sound of Toothless leaving but he didn't uncover his eyes as his body relaxed. He took a deep breath as his arms slacked to the side. It wasn't like him to be such a brat but it was the only way he knew he could handle this situation without outright crying. He was scared, lost, and confused rolled into a non-Viking body. How long would he be here before the dragons grew tired of entertaining him? Gronky words reassured him that they weren't going to kill him or anything like that but being stuck here didn't make him feel better. He belonged on solid ground…where it didn't look like he had to fly everywhere.

A coo made him turn his head, coming nose-to-nose with Toothless. Balking back, Hiccup calmed down his heart. "Warn a guy!" He paused, seeing a platter with a single fish in Toothless' broad hand. The dragon pushed the offering out causing Hiccup to stick his tongue out in disgust. The thing was raw! And the eyes were staring into his soul, lifelessly. He pushed himself away from the offered platter. "You're joking right?" He asked when Toothless shook the dish to repeat his offer.

In his life he'd only ate one raw fish courtesy of Toothless and that still made his stomach coil. Toothless looked over the dish before looking thoughtful. With one sharp claw, he cut off the head and tail (promptly eating those) before blowing a long wave of hot air on the fish. It started to brown along the edges, cooking under Toothless' attention. The smell had Hiccup coming closer, his belly growling. The last time he'd eaten was yesterday morning, some leftover  _skause_ from the night before.

When the dish was offered out again, Hiccup wasted no time, ripping the platter rom Toothless' claws, digging into the fish. He ate around the bone, watching the dragons outside the wide window. Toothless leaned against his side, causing Hiccup to shift over further.

"Listen up!" Hiccup held a wet finger towards his dragon. "I know you can understand me! We are  _not_  mates. I'm human you're dragon! Two very different species and – get this through your thick head – I am not having your kids!" He remembered Gronky speaking about being chosen to have Toothless' babies too, which probably was too much. He didn't want to know _how_ such a feat was possible but he did know that if these dragons could become like humans then making a male pregnant was not beyond their abilities. "I'm a boy and we do not have kids – dragon or otherwise!" He put the tray and fish bones between the two, signaling he was done. "Now take me home, this has been a huge waste of time. Useless reptile." He spat out the last part, crossing his arms.

Toothless leaned in, his tongue slithering up Hiccup's cheek. He couldn't have timed his swat better even if he tried, catching the forked tongue under his hand when he slapped. It slithered against his palm, Toothless leaning in with a surprised look on his face.

"You're not listening to me are you?"

The dragon whacked him with a large wing.

Hiccup pushed back on the wing, his other hand on Toothless' chest, pushing to get the dragon away from him. Dragon eyes narrowed, battle glinting in them. Hiccup cried out as he was pushed back, his arms wrestled above his head, a dragon's snout nuzzling his neck. Long teeth raked over the skin, an unspoken promise that they could bite. "No!" He rolled his fist, hitting the dragon's neck. It did nothing but hurt his knuckles but he was unrelenting, his mind reeling.  _He's going to rape me! He's going to force me to have his babies!_

This wasn't the Toothless he befriended.

_Whack!_

Hiccup's eyes snapped open. His hand against scale certainly didn't make Toothless howl like that. He turned his head, trying to look past the dragon's large black wings to the small Gronckle holding his cane out. Gronky and Toothless argued in their own tongue until the cane came up, whacking the large Night Fury along the nose. Shaking his head, the dark dragon climbed off the bed, taking the fish platter with him as he escaped the room.

"T, Thanks." Hiccup sat up, clutching his fur vest. "He was going to rape me or—"

"Rape?" The small dragon tested the strange word. "No, Child, he wasn't force mating you – he's smarter than that. He was playing, perhaps a little too close to your liking." The Gronckle sat on the bed, cane between his sturdy legs. "It seems Njáll – I'm sorry, Toothless – has misinformed several of his recent antics. Were you not aware he chose you to be his mate?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Can't he speak human?"

"No dragon can speak human, save us older ones. When our lips lose their elasticity, we grow the ability to vocalize human sounds. Njáll'—Toothless is still a child, a hatchling. It won't be anytime he'll be able to communicate with you but he can understand." The dragon forked his own flabby lips, "As a hatchling, he doesn't always think things through – for instance, you. Six of your summers ago, he informed me that a human had accepted him as a mate and I encouraged this courtship under the impression that you were aware of the implications behind it but, I'm guess with how you were earlier, Toothless hasn't informed you of any of this, has he?"

Hiccup shook his head. "This is all a sick joke. They put something in my ale, I just know it." He laughed forcibly. "Oh that Fishlegs and his jokes. He got me this time."

"Fish do not have legs, Child." Gronky touched Hiccup's shoulder. "The date for the ceremony is in a month but you do not have to attend if you do not want to."

"I do not want to." Hiccup tossed himself on the bed, burrowing his nose. His father usually got the hint that he was through talking but this dragon didn't, instead he just nodded in understanding. "I need to go back and mend the weapons for the next dragon attack. Gobber can't do all the work."

"The attacks will cease during this period, of course." The dragon nodded. "We want only for our heir's mate to be happy. An unhappy wife means the loss of limbs for a male dragon – and for a male human if I am right?" He smirked.

"How is Toothless your heir?" Hiccup finally asked.

"He's the third strongest dragon in our lands. It's only right that he be next in line for the throne. Toothless informs me you are the son of the human chief – are you not the second strongest human or is that another of his lies?" The dragon growled lowly, perhaps insulting his heir. Hiccup giggled, starting to enjoy this Gronckle over all the other dragons – even Toothless.

"Me? Strong?" He held his head up. "Hardly! Word around is if an ant and I battled, the ant would win! You can ask my father! He's ashamed of me." He dropped his head, feeling the sting of tears. "I'd rather be a blacksmith than the chief but it's in my lineage. I have to be stronger for the village. How is a Gronckle stronger than a Night Fury or a Nightmare? No offense, you all are kind of slow…"

"Strength," the dragon whispered, "exists further than brute force." He turned back to the human. "I do request you give my Selfish Heir a chance, during this courtship period of now and the mating ceremony. If you do not approve of him, then we will send you back to your human village and this union will be annulled."

"If I say no, will there be more attacks on my people?" Hiccup turned his head.

"Most likely. Not by any order but people…dragon and human alike, we hold grudges against those who wrong us. I can't guarantee that the fighting will stop because of your union either. The only difference is the reason behind it will change."

Hiccup sat up. "Why are the dragons attacking my people?" He sat on his legs, tilting his head at the wise dragon. He had asked his father once but the man had informed him that it had just always been that way. He didn't doubt it, mostly because history tended to become lost with each generation. He always wanted to know  _why_ though, especially after meeting Toothless who had been similar to his namesake.

Until recently, of course.

"In recent generations? Because your kind have attacked us. We've had many siblings taken and killed by your kind. Originally, and still at times, it's because your isle is floating into our lands. My Ruler, long ago, had tried to warn your race that our lands were too close but they attacked us so we attacked back. From there it has become an endless battle of races while our lands grow closer and closer."

"Why are our lands getting closer?" Hiccup frowned. "Are the lands…moving?" Such an inconceivable concept. Land was not alive, it did not move. Unless the gods were moving their land into the dragon's territory…

"I do not understand it either but every summer the lands get closer and closer. It's only a matter of time that they become parallel and a total war will occur, leaving only one race to strive." Gronckle shivered at the thought. "But there is not of your concern. Such an event will not occur in your lifetime or in mine, much less Toothless'. We will just continuously battle it out until there is nothing left." The dragon stood on his shaky legs, turning to face Hiccup. "Will you at least give my selfish child to prove his desire to mate with you?"

"Do you promise to end this war while I decide?" Hiccup breathed. If he couldn't fight with his people, he'd fight for his people.

"But of course."

Hiccup wrapped his arms around his small body, taking a deep breath. "Then yes. I will consider being Toothless' mate . I'll come to a decision before the ceremony." The Gronckle nodded and took his leave, purring once to let the Night Fury back in the room. Hiccup grumbled lowly from his spot.

He didn't care what they tried, he was  _not_  going to agree to this mating.


	3. Chapter 3

Hadak was like a page from his dreams. Everything Berk was, the Land of Dragons was not. Floating high in the air, it stood freely amongst the clouds, overlooking the vast ocean that presumably led to the little human’s home. Hiccup spent his first week in his new home exploring the outreach, trying to better understand how all that was possible and if it could be integrated into Viking culture.   
  
A Gronckle flew overhead, its small wings fluttering fast to carry its heavy body to the next, higher expansion. Hiccup rushed towards the ledge, trying to see what was going on high above the palace grounds.  _If only I had wings_ . He raised his arms in thought, imagining himself soaring through each area of Hadak. He could see more than just this castle, which was beautiful in of itself but no longer awe inspiring.   
  
Another Gronckle flew into the air, the bucket he carried shifted and spilt but it didn’t deter his track.   
  
It was something Hiccup noticed almost immediately. It was strange when Toothless had brought him water with his meals. In Berk, such a thing was unheard of as all water was unsanitary and lead to sickness. The dragon’s water wasn’t dirty, however. Hiccup had found himself drinking cup and after until his belly had grown tight the first day. He had then wanted to explore the area, to figure out how such a feat was possible.   
  
The reality of how it was possible was tiring just to watch. There had to be nearly a hundred Gronckles flying from that high platform down to the earth below for more water. That platform had six conjoining waterfalls, each one landing on a lower platform, collecting into ponds in its uncontaminated bliss. Hiccup tightened his hands on his shirt as he watched, shoulders hunched. Did they do this all day? He was starting to feel horrible about over indulging on their hard work that first day.   
  
A coo echoed from the lush gardens surrounding the palace. Breaking his concentration on the process, the little human watched the array of plants blocking the main path for Toothless. He wasn’t learning Dragonese very fast but he had picked up the difference between a couple of the purrs and coos. That coo was definitely Toothless’, primarily used to get Hiccup’s attention. He didn’t know what it meant but somehow he knew it would annoy him if he did.   
  
“I’m over here!” Hiccup raised his voice when the coo became more alert. He returned his attention to the blue skies as Toothless pushed past the overgrowth, looking to relax with each step he made closer to the human. “I want to fly Toothless.” The human turned, approaching his dragon.    
  
It never ceased to surprise him how similar these dragons were to humans and yet so different. Toothless had two long legs, a broad chest, sturdy arms, and a toned neck. He towered higher than Hiccup by at least a head. His face, however…it was so different, like all the dragons. His face was still so similar to his dragon form, like all the dragons were. Big almond shaped green eyes that stared into his soul, an undefined nose, and a long mouth with no lips. He just looked like a big, blue human with a dragon’s head.    
  
The dragon cooed, licking Hiccup’s cheek before turning around. Hiccup stepped back, watching with morbid fascination as the bones of his dragon shifted and snapped, reshaping into dragon form until he was once more a giant lizard. His wings spread out, a smirk on his blue face. “I want to go up there.” Hiccup pointed to the platform that the Gronckles had taken water.   
  
Toothless shifted his wings, giving Hiccup space to climb on. Ever since his initial flight, the two had been getting better at this. The dragon no longer tried to dismount his little rider. Instead he performed aerobatic tricks to scare his human, making the little on fall from his back so he could catch him mid-fall. The first time had been too much, making Hiccup demand to be put down so he could attempt to beat the dragon up for scaring him. Since then, he’d learned to trust his companion. Toothless didn’t want a dead mate…   
  
…he hoped.   
  
“Argh! You stupid dragon!”   
  
Hiccup grabbed the eats on Toothless’ head as they shoot from the Palace grounds, going down instead of up. The speed made the human feel like he was going to fall. He just knew the wind was making his cheeks flap. Ducking into Toothless’ neck, Hiccup closed his eyes as the real ground and water came into view with Toothless not appearing to slow down. When it felt like they were going to crash, Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the Night Fury to change direction. He did – gliding across the land beneath Hadak on a flight path. He came to a stop just short of a cliff overlooking the island and Hiccup looked over the reptile’s head to get an idea if he was dead.   
  
“You stupid dragon! Why do you have to do that?” Hiccup cupped the dragon’s ears. A wing slapped him, knocking his body to the side. Hiccup batted the wing that tried to pin him down before coming to a standstill. High above his head he saw the figure of a Gronckle moving down to the land, not too far off. Hiccup looked over at the proud dragon he rode in on. “How did you know I wanted to see the whole process?   
  
Why did it look like Toothless had puffed up his chest in a  _I know everything my Hiccup wants_ fashion?    
  
Hiccup swatted his wing – hard – just to prove a point before rolling to his feet. Besides the occasional dragon coming and going from behind the tree line, the area looked uninhabited. Curling his nose into the soft grass (and wishing he had his boots), Hiccup moved through the flora, trying to find where the dragons were going. Pushing a fern to the side, he paused at a creek.   
  
The dragons looked up at him, curious as to why the human was there but quickly went back to work around a wooden device that pulled buckets of water up through a long pulley system. The water buckets were then taken over to a basin where a fire was continuously lit, boiling the creek water. Finally, a dragon would take a bucket and fly up towards Hadak. Hiccup stepped towards the device, watching the water being carried to the basin by an old rope, dumping on its own.  _How inventive._  He tilted his head to the side, watching the bucket disappear under the water again.    
  
Far off, he noticed one of the many waterfalls from Hadak hitting the water, returning to where it came from. It was a never ending process, he realized. “Don’t you ever get bored?”   
  
A dragon gave  _him_  a bored look, for asking such a question. Toothless knocked the Nadder upside the head, moving around to Hiccup. He cooed deeply, looking up at the flight path. Another coo, he looked down at the water. Hiccup frowned.   
  
“So it has to be done or there’s no water?” Toothless nodded. Hiccup frowned. So why boil it? He turned back, making his way to the basin to look in at the large quantity of water. The steam tickled his nose but he only leaned forward more, mindful of the flames not too far from his feet. A splatter of water hit his face and he pulled back, using his wrist to wipe to burn from his face.    
  
Toothless came up behind him, his snout nudged the human out of the way, letting a group of Terrors fly to the basin with many small cups clenched in their mouths. Each one was filled to the brim before the Terror flew back up to Hadak. Toothless pushed Hiccup again, encouraging him to continue through the ferns. Placing a hand on the dragon’s neck, Hiccup let his companion lead him through the foreign flora. He gazed up to the sky, barely visual with all the trees. More dragons were coming for the North, towards the land.   
  
So there were more dragons than those living in Hadak? Hiccup rubbed the scales under his fingers as the two continued away from the waterhole where the new dragons disappeared into. Toothless’ ears folded against his hands, a low growl in his throat. Hiccup moved his hand, rubbing the spot that he knew would make the Night Fury content. He didn’t know what had landed over the hill but he knew Toothless didn’t want him to be there.   
  
The continued through the foliage until they came upon open land that led to the ocean. Surrounding the area were clay dome-shaped houses, each of which falling apart in its own way. Releasing his hold on Toothless’ neck, Hiccup approached the clay houses, trying to figure out what kind of life was on the island. It didn’t look inhabited. In fact, judging by the overgrowth and wear it wasn’t possible that this place had been populated in hundreds of years. Hiccup’s eyes widened at the thought. It didn’t seem possible but then again, his own view on possible had changed in the matter of weeks.   
  
He wasn’t sure if he could touch the dome shapes in the dirt. They looked so brittle but he doubted they were to have lasted this long without human intervention. In fact, it didn’t even look like the dragons came here too often considering the only tracks he saw resembled Toothless’. His foot fell into an old footprint belonging to his dragon’s human form. While said dragon moved along, into one of the dome ‘houses’, Hiccup compared their size differences, his own bear foot wiggling in the imprint.    
  
And he thought he was small in comparison to his father.   
  
“What is this place?” He called out. His body twisted around, to take the area in. The ocean was pushing into the land, promising to swallow the island one day. Judging by the rock formation around the water, houses used to stretch further out. Hiccup nibbled on his bottom lip, not sure how to take that in. How far inland had this village once been? How long ago was that?   
  
Toothless called out for him in that soft purr that Hiccup knew so well. Going back to the dome, Hiccup stepped into the carved door, looking around. The area was covered in dust save for a line leading from the door to a table where Toothless currently sat overlooking wooden figures on the table.   
  
Hiccup kicked at the dust, thick as his finger, as he made his way over. “Hey, those wooden dolls!” He grabbed one up. It was an incomplete Night Fury with an incomplete human…that sort of looked like him if he tilted his head to the side. “Is this here you made them?” He eyed the wood carvings around. The dragon nodded. “Were…” He couldn’t find the words as he looked at the dragon and human, so close together. “Were you going to give me this, too?” Another nod answered that question. “Well, the kidnapping wasn’t that bad, can’t say I’ve ever had that before.”   
  
The dragon snorted, turning his head away. Hiccup laughed loudly, almost sure he knew what was going on through the beast’s head.   
  
“I know, I know—you didn’t kidnap me. You mistakenly picked me up and whisked me away.”    
  
Toothless nodded firmly, his head cocked to a side. The smile stretched on Hiccup’s face as he turned from the table, continuing through the room. Old furniture dressed the corners, blanketed with dust. All materials appeared to have disappeared with age, leaving the room bear of any possessions save the stone furniture. One piece caught the human’s attention, dragging him to the other side of the room where a box sat innocently facing the door, begging to be looked at.    
  
“What’s this?” Hiccup asked. Toothless came over, sitting beside him in uncertainty. Leaning forward, the dragon puffed a deep breath out, throwing the layer of dust in all directions.   
  
It was a chest. Hiccup touched the stone work, curling his fingers from the sharp edges to the center keyhole, where it was rough and ragged from someone attempting to tamper with it. “Is there a key?” He asked. Toothless cooed lowly, suggesting he’d never seen a key in the empty shack. Without realizing it, Hiccup rubbed the dragon’s chin to calm the dragon down. His main focus, however, was on the box. There was something familiar about that crest just above the lock….something he’d seen his whole life.   
  
“That’s our crest! In Berk!” He glanced around the small house. It was still bare to the world and reeking of cold but this used to belong to his people. Why did they leave this island? Was it because of the dragons? He abandoned the box, stepping out to the grassy lands. Things were starting to make a connection – this was the town square just like in what was now Berk. The only difference was Berk had to constantly rebuild itself because of dragon attacks but this place had succumbed to nature.    
  
He had always been taught Berk was there home since man was formed. Why did the dragons suddenly attack and why did the humans forget this place? Hiccup pushed his toes through the dirt, soft and untainted. There had to be some kind of clue but it looked like the clues had been destroyed by nature, eroded into the rock. Hiccup stared into the sky, at Hadak standing in proud glory.   
  
Toothless cooed from inside the dome house and something clattered to the ground. “Damn it! Don’t destroy anything, you useless dragon!” Hiccup stormed back in. The minute he passed the threshold, he felt a strong mouth grab his shirt and he was carried over to a pile of debris from the remaining furniture. Fighting futilely, the human grunted when he was dropped behind the furniture. Toothless turned around, kicking dirt at the human with narrowed eyes. Hiccup coughed and swatted his arms out but a glare from his dragon kept him in place.   
  
_Stay._   
  
Hiccup grabbed his dirty shirt, knowing that growl from his dragon. It was one of the few Dragonese words he had picked up. Lowering his gaze, he gripped his trouser legs until his ears picked up the sound of a branch breaking followed by Toothless’ growl. Someone responded to him. Glancing out a nearby window, Hiccup saw two other dragons appear out of the woods, two strong looking Nadders. Hiccup cowered some, having a feeling these weren’t as nice as the ones from Hadak considering the way Toothless approached them cautiously.   
  
He never wished more than at that moment the ability to understand. The three dragons danced around each other, looking ready to attack at every given moment. Toothless’ eyes followed the dragons, pushing both back to the woods while nipping at their legs if they went towards the village. Each expression spoke words for Toothless, from arrogance to annoyance each one was attacked back with what could only be described was mocking. Toothless’ wings spanned back, making him look bigger with a low hiss suddenly and the Nadders stepped around him, one of their tails slapping into a clay home off to the side.   
  
It tumbled to pieces and Hiccup swallowed heavily, dipping into the dust and furniture. Was Toothless trying to hide him? What was with these new dragons?    
  
His companion swung forward, stepping them from approaching another dome shaped building. Teeth out, he nipped at their necks in warning. His wing hit another one, pushing the Nadder over. The Nadder jumped to its feet, its sharp teeth coming towards Toothless but the Night Fury side stepped it, his eyes narrowed. He hissed, his big paw stepping on the Nadder’s tail. He growled and hissed again, raising his head up. When his foot came off the ground, releasing its hold on the other dragon’s tail, the Nadder shot into the sky, roaring loudly in anger. The other Nadder curled its ears back, hissing at Toothless before joining his companion in the air.   
  
Toothless’ stance didn’t change as he watched them, glowering in rage. His tail moved fast, rapidly pushing dirt to the side until he turned, making his way back into the home. Looking over the furniture, Hiccup found it hard to make eye contact with his companion. He’d never seen Toothless like that. His stance just screamed power – that the soft side he always showed the little human was all a ruse.    
  
Approaching the human, the dragon cooed softly, his ears folding back. The cute look didn’t decrease the fear suddenly in Hiccup. Just being in the Night Fury’s presence scared him. He hadn’t even touched those other two strong-looking dragons and he still came out on top. Toothless cooed again, nudging a chair to the side. His head remained lowered, almost ashamed at what Hiccup had seen.    
  
Realization of his behavior hit Hiccup like a rock. His shoulders relaxed, his longer fingers threading over tough scales. A long, thick tongue brushed against his fingers before Toothless turned, going back to the box bearing the Viking crest.   
  
Still sitting in the rubble of furniture, Hiccup put his hand on his heart, still beating rapidly. No, he wasn’t scared. He knew, deep down, that Toothless would never hurt him. He was terrified of those other two dragons that had destroyed this historical place with no thought of its inhabitants but not of his dragon. No, he felt pride for Toothless. The dragon had protected not only him but had attempted to protect this abandoned village. He hadn’t even attacked until they destroyed one home.   
  
Climbing out from behind the rubble, Hiccup settled against his dragon’s side, his fingers playing with the chest. “Thank you.” He whispered. “What was all that about?”   
  
Toothless’ ears fell back, a scowl taking his face.   
  
“Were they from Hadak?” The human asked. Toothless head shook negatively so quickly, Hiccup was afraid it would come off. “I wonder what’s going on…”   
  
He felt like he had his answer when a heavy wing wrapped around his shoulders, in a protective fashion. Hiccup looked towards the expanse of sky where the dragons had disappeared.  _If they weren’t from Hadak, why do they hate humans?_   
  
The next few weeks Hiccup had Toothless bring him down to the small island so he could explore. Sometimes the big Night Fury stuck by him but when he couldn’t, a small Terror joined him in his search for tools to repair not only that small village but the Hadak waterhole which had suffered damage from the two Nadders weeks before. Although he liked it when Toothless stayed with him during these fixings, he found the dragon essentially useless.    
  
When Toothless wasn’t around the dragons at the lake worked as a well-oiled machine and took to Hiccup being with them with ease. His work as a blacksmith aided them in creating a functional machine that could bring up water more effectively than their previous wooden contraption. Hiccup felt like a part of something as they moved with him, talking amiably as if he understood everything going on.   
  
However, this wasn’t the same when Toothless was around. They tripped over their own paws, feeling like he was monitoring their every move. He growled lowly when Hiccup was approached and usually something broke because of his instance in helping them, or namely his little human.    
  
Ordering him to sit out, Hiccup grumbled as he went about refastening the pulley system. A Gronckle – nicknamed Snorri – fumbled, dropping his bucket of water before he could take flight. From the back, Toothless snorted, turning his head. Helping the dragon up, Hiccup personally refilled his bucket with the boiling water before sending the dragon back up to Hadak. His eyes remained focused on the distance. He wanted to create a second pulley system to avoid the long flight made by the heavy dragon but his suggestion had been brushed aside by a series of snorts.    
  
“Good as new!” Hiccup stepped back, sidestepping a Terror that had taken to him. In its paws was a little hammer that it had personally retrieved for him from Berk. Taking the item, Hiccup smiled at his new friend. “Thanks! You’ve been so helpful!” He reached into a pouch he’d taken to carrying around, pulling out a piece of dried deer jerky. The little one carried it off on shaky two legs, sitting under a shady tree with his treat. “Come on, Toothless. Let’s go explore the village some more!” He waved his hand.   
  
Toothless eyed the little dragons as he walked by, making a nipping noise at the Terror eating the jerky from a deer that  _he had_  caught for Hiccup. Hiccup climbed over the rocks without paying attention to Toothless. He knew the jerky traits wouldn’t work on such a dragon like Toothless who acted far better than the other dragons.   
  
The old village symbolized a lot of lost history for Hiccup. He’d spent the weeks trying to understand why the people of Berk had left. He’d gone as far to ask Gorky about it but the Gronckle had simply chastised Toothless for bringing Hiccup to these lands.   
  
Moving around a pit he’d dug up, Hiccup set the hammer to the side before looking over the scrap iron he’d collected around the island. Toothless was already curling in a spot of sunshine, turned away from Hiccup, keeping a watch on the Northern skies were other dragons sometimes came from. Shaking his head, Hiccup prepared the pit with coke stones that other Terrors had brought him from other islands.   
  
“I need some fire.” Hiccup nudged his dragon. He earned a scowl in return before the dragon waved his paw, his wing coming back to blanket his large form. Putting his hands on his hips, Hiccup puffed. “Toothless!” The dragon didn’t budge from his stance.  _Stupid, jealous dragon..._ Clearing his throat, Hiccup stepped around the dragon and made a soft growling noise that he had learned from the Terrors. “ _Need help…_ ” He left that with a pitiful coo that didn’t come out right. Coughing, Hiccup stepped away, rubbing his throat.    
  
Toothless’ gaze followed him as he went back to the coke stones. He stuck out his bottom lip. “Toothless…”    
  
With a huff, the dragon came over, blowing out a fireball into the stones. They lit fast, heating immediately to a high temperature. Stepping back, Hiccup watched with excitement as the steel plate he had over the stones turned red, in turn his strap metal did as well. He needed a dragon back at the smithy in Berk; it made this job go much faster. Sitting back, Toothless dropped his head back in pride, his tail coiling as if to say,  _let those Terrors dry and do that_ .   
  
Hiccup giggled as he moved past his dragon, tongs held out to grab the scrap iron. He nearly dropped his scraps when Toothless tail tapped him. He looked at the dragon, putting his work on a cold sheet of iron. Toothless’ chest remained puffed out. “Okay, okay- all hail Toothless, bringer of fire, burner of metal, protector of weak little humans like me.” He bowed deep for his dragon but the tall-tale grin took his face. Bending over, he took his hammer up and started pounding at the red metal, forming it into slender slab that could fit in the box.    
  
Peeking over, Toothless snorted at the key, his head dropping on Hiccup’s lowered one to watch what the human was doing. Giggling, Hiccup pushed on the dragon’s snout before continuing to hammer the scrap. “Bring me some water from the ocean.” He shrugged his head in the direction of the cup he’d brought from Hadak. Toothless didn’t move, a low rumble coming from his throat. Hiccup grumbled back, in his own language about Toothless being spoiled.    
  
Tilting his head back, Hiccup reached above his body. His arms wrapped around Toothless head as he tried to steady himself. Bringing his body up on his arches, he kissed the underside of Toothless neck, along the scales that were sensitive. The dragon tensed under his arms. “You don’t need to be jealous.”   
  
Toothless jerked away, a smile on his flat face. His green-yellow eyes seemed to brighten at the thought before he leaned forward, his big tongue licking Hiccup’s cheek before he darted away with the cup just as Hiccup swatted at the air. “Useless reptile!” He called after his dragon companion before sitting back on his heels. The hammer slid from his fingers as his face glowed red.   
  
His fingers slipped to his cheek, touching the wet skin as a nervous smile slipped on his lips. Somehow he didn’t think saying ‘no’ to the whole mating-thing was going to be as easy as he initially thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer was drawing to a close, the days counting down when Hiccup would need to give his answer. He didn’t really think about it much, not his impending decision or the fact that he could be mated with a dragon if he so desired. Weeks in Hadak had been spent working on the chest found in that old village, creating a key that could open the locked box once and for all. When he was over sweltering fires, he had been following around dragon’s, trying to get a grasp on their way of life.   
  
Friends, he learned, came in all shapes and sizes. Although he didn’t understand what went on between the group that he spent his hours with, he felt very welcome in their midst. He had even gone so far as to give them names after the human’s they resembled so much in personality. Currently he was following the Nadder – named Astrid because both females had similar personalities – around the castle, trying to ensure he didn’t get clipped by the sharp tail trailing between them.   
  
Physiology had become a strong interest of his. He spent hours with graphite, creating his own Book of Dragons, trying to accumulate as much real knowledge about these species as he could. If he did go back to Berk, he wanted the Vikings to see the side of their enemy that he was watching.   
  
Females, like Astrid-Dragon there, weren’t much different than their human counterparts. Tall in relation with their species, from the distance it was hard to tell one Nadder from the next…until one took the time to learn. Males, for instance, had a protective shell that started where a navel should be and looped between their legs. Females had a similar protective shell like men’s but there’s also formed around their toughened breast that didn’t protrude nearly as far as human’s did.    
  
Scales on a Nadder were different shades and hues. Astrid-Dragon’s scales were a soft blue with yellow that trailed into a deep golden shade around their neckline like hair. Decorated in priceless gems that were as common as rocks, she shimmered beautifully in the hot summer sun. Astrid-Dragon was a powerful warrior at the castle – in brute strength, in planning and foresight she came up short much-like her namesake.   
  
“Gods, it’s so busy up here. Is there a party going on today?” Hiccup trailed up to the Nadder, his hands folded in front of him. “Is that what Toothless is busy with?”   
  
He had wanted to spend that day flying with his dragon but Toothless had rolled out of their bed before the sun shined. He hadn’t even been courteous to bring Hiccup along; it wasn’t like Hiccup was able to sleep when he was cold without his companion.    
  
The dragon made a small nasal noise that meant either ‘yes’ or ‘stupid’, Hiccup smiled. He had been practicing his Dragonese but still had a long way to go. The taller dragon reached over the human’s head, propping a wide door open, shrugging him in the bathing chamber. Hiccup grumbled about being tricked. He thought they were going to go to another part of the castle; he wasn’t ready for another bath.   
  
Dragons were so…clean.   
  
Astrid-Dragon shut the door, sealing Hiccup alone in the room.   
  
Exhaling sharply, the human made his way to the wide basin, dropping each article of clothes as he went. He bathed last night, with Toothless. He could admit being cleaner than ever and it felt great. It wasn’t that he hated baths, not in the least, in fact it he wasn’t sick, he could breathe better, and his head didn’t itch at all. Vikings weren’t known to be clean – it was so ‘un-Viking-ly’, which summed him up.    
  
“I don’t want to get too used to this,” He slumped into the water, his head falling back against the rim of the tub. Without thinking about it, he raised his hands in the air, looking at his clean nails. His hands had never been so white in his life, especially since taking his apprenticeship at the smithy.    
  
Although the son of a chief, he wasn’t given the luxuries of other chieftain heirs. There was almost an unspoken understanding that should Hiccup take his father’s title, there would be an uprising. Hiccup just wasn’t strong enough to fight a rebellion should it occur. Because he was raised to be like any other citizen of Berk, he wasn’t used to these comforts and knew he wasn’t going to take well to returning to it.    
  
_Shouldn’t have gotten used to this._  Hiccup lowered his face into the water, blowing out a deep breath that caused the water around him to rumble.    
  
Making the idea of going home even more difficult was Toothless. At first he was irritated with the Dragon for withholding something as important as their tentative-mating as well as making his father worry he had been kidnapped and ate by their enemy. Now, he wasn’t sure where his feelings were with his companion. He found himself sharing lengthened touches with the dragon now, often making promises for months outside his window of opportunity in Hadak.   
  
He liked to touch the dragon’s scaly face and sometimes he found his gaze straying to the dragon’s broad chest when his companion dressed in the morning. Even their flights, once long and breathtaking, had become shortened by Hiccup’s inability to breathe properly when he realized how close their bodies were. At first, these touches had left him scared—they were different species!—but over time, he didn’t notice their differences anymore. Toothless’ flat face versus his defined features, a smooth tongue against a rugged, thick one…   
  
Hiccup snorted up water, causing him to choke. Climbing out of the tub, Hiccup shivered silently. Those thoughts had been happening more and more as he integrated himself into the dragon way of life. It was only a matter of time before he forgot who he was, or rather  _what_ . “And yet it doesn’t gross me out as much as it should.” He dropped his head back against the floor when he had control of his breathing again.    
  
The familiar coo of his name (as far as he was concerned) startled him into full awareness. Sitting up, Hiccup waved off his concerned friend, letting Toothless settle against his side. The big dragon nuzzled under his neck, pushing his head back.    
  
“’M fine.” Hiccup grumbled, pushing his friend back with all his force, knocking both back. Pushing himself to his feet, Hiccup made his way to a pile of clothes in the corner, likely left for him by a dragon he didn’t see. Struggling into his clothes, he gave the dragon a weary look as he tied up the shirt, sealing off his flesh from ever-present eyes. “You left really early this morning.” He grumbled, pulling his old boots on his feet. Dragons could walk around with bare-claws but he refused.    
  
Toothless made an apologetic noise, his flat snout pressing against the human again.   
  
Unable to keep glaring at the reptile, Hiccup smiled. “I forgive you if you tell me what’s going on.”   
  
Now looking shameful, Toothless’ wings dropped low, dragging across the floor towards the large stone doors. Hiccup trailed behind, not the least bit surprise that his currently human-like friend was able to open the heavy structure with one arm. The dragons had so much brute force in comparison to humans… He grunted when Astrid-Dragon clipped him with her wing as she made her way down a separate hall, no longer needed to ‘babysit’ him. Smirking, Hiccup enjoyed the low growl that escaped his companion’s lips.   
  
“She didn’t mean to.” He pushed Toothless forward, making the other continue down the corridor where he hoped the explanatory destination was. Toothless grumbled low, his ears curling back against his head. Hiccup huffed softly, tilting his head back. “I’m not glass you know, powerful Viking Warrior here. I can take on any dragon no matter how tough they are.”   
  
Toothless’ wing spanned out, pushing Hiccup over. From the ground, the human could only look up and stare at his companion who laughed at him, probably taunting his claims.    
  
“Well maybe not this,” Hiccup slid his hand down his chest, “But there’s some kind of Viking flowing through these veins.” He pounded on his chest to add the effect but he knew it was for naught. Even he couldn’t keep a straight face at thinking himself a Viking like his father. The dragon cooed lowly, crossing his arms across his broad chest, looking thoughtful. When he smiled, Hiccup smiled back, not sure what was going through his companion’s head as he we helped from the ground.   
  
“ _Come._ ” The dragon cooed, tugging on Hiccup’s arm. The human smiled, so used to that sound. Toothless was tired of showing the human his home, his people.   
  
“All right, show me what’s important. No more funny stuff.” He tucked his fingers between Toothless’ paw, enjoying the padded flesh along his own rough hand. Claws brushed across his knuckles. He stared at the two appendages, rolled together as one, before stepping closer to his companion, their bodies almost one. The human tucked his head, hiding his smile. He could definitely get used to this.    
  
The wide doors leading to the gardens were pushed open by a Zippleback, its two heads taunting the other. Toothless growled at them and they silences, looking away. Hiccup giggled. Those, he decided, were definitely the twins.   
  
Using his free hand to cover his eyes from the sudden harsh sun, Hiccup waited for his vision to focus fully opening them. The gardens were crowded with various dragons, each ones wearing similar clothes to his and Toothless. Some, he realized, looked more traditional, decked out with fine gems that trailed with their tails. Females laced their arms with males, children danced around together with glee, and a few of the dragonoids in their original, dragon-like forms flew above head making intricate designs in the fluffy blue clouds.   
  
Toothless tugged him, moving him to the side so two of the aerobatic performers could land, transforming with the painful cracking of bones while doing so. Hiccup leaned against Toothless, watching as the two dragons were robed with similar garments as the other dragons, their narrow green eyes focusing on the crowds while they laughed and joked boisterously. Toothless snorted, gaining their attention.   
  
Dragon language was interesting to Hiccup. It wasn’t easy to pick up as a lot of the words were joined in low decibel growls that the human ear. Snorts were joined with growls and coos, a single growl could mean a whole sentence and Hiccup would never know. Body language had quickly become his best friend as everything that was being said was displayed so openly in the dragon’s face, their form, and their tails.   
  
Although Toothless’ growls sounded so menacing his shoulders were relaxed as his tail swayed calmly. His breathing was even and his eyes were tight with laughter. Hiccup brushed his thumb over the dragon’s palm. He wished he could join them in conversation immediately – they seemed to have so much to say.    
  
A terror approached them, its small human-like body barely coming up to Hiccup’s legs. It held up a stone cup with an amber liquid. Hiccup smiled, taking the offered drink. It wasn’t water but it wasn’t ale either. He sniffed the substance, taking in the sweet smell before taking his first sip. It warmed his tongue and went down smoothly.   
  
“Mm. Thank you,” he beamed.   
  
The little terror’s cheeks darkened, it’s small arms tucking behind his back, playing with a lone spike at the base of his tail. Toothless grumbled, his arm looping around Hiccup’s thin waist. Glancing up at the jealous Toothless, Hiccup sipped his drink. Toothless watched him with a raised, hairless, brow. Rolling his eyes at the dragon, Hiccup took his hand back making his way through the crowd of dragons while nursing his drink.   
  
It wasn’t uncommon for a dragon or two to be on the castle grounds. Apparently there was no limitation of social standing in Hadak but that didn’t mean other, lesser dragons came by the castle all too often. None were actually entering but there were so many on the small island that Hiccup was almost certain that the land would fall from the sky. Big and small, each one was coexisting in such peace it was hard to imagine.   
  
A large male Nadder brushed against his shoulder, growling softly while tucking his arm around the double headers of a Zippleback, its tooth slightly extended from its mouth. Hiccup nodded, accepting his apology while watching the two dragons walk towards a large group celebrating merrily near a few drums and other musical instruments. The band, Hiccup realized, was playing a vibrant tune which a few of the dragons, namely the children, were dancing to in the middle of a crowd.   
  
Moving through the crowds, Hiccup watched the children gallop around one another, their tails flicking together as they danced and giggled, lavished with priceless gems that made them look like royalty. Every few beats a child stepped out of the dancing circle into an adult dragon’s sight where a necklace of flowers was put around its neck. Hiccup fingered his glass, barely noticing when it was refilled by another helpful Terror that settled next to him with her own drink.   
  
Glancing at the little Terror, Hiccup smiled when he realized it was a child, perhaps too scared to join the other festive children on the dance floor. “You should join them.” Hiccup whispered. “Don’t want to be left behind, do you?” He tiled his head with a smile.   
The little one tilted her head, bearing its own gem for the world to see before returning her attention to the other child dancers. Her longue tongue peeked out of her clamped mouth, darting into the amber liquid for a mouthful.    
  
Unable to stop himself, Hiccup started laughing, startling a dragon or two around him. Dropping his hand on the little Terror’s head, he chuckled softly while climbing to his feet. He didn’t have gems or flowers to give the little one but he could make this child’s dance part of her.   
  
Grabbing her claw, Hiccup pulled the little one to his feet, stepping out on the dance field. The wave of curious growls meant nothing as he bent down to take the two small paws of the child and began to sway with her. Their bodies moved out with the other little children who stopped to gaze at them as they tried to replicate the intricate movements of the little ones just prior.   
  
_Foot in, out, twirl._   
  
Hiccup laughed as the little one’s wings flapped, trying to fly so she could be parallel with the little human. Dancing had never come easy to him. He was a klutz in every aspect of his life and he had two left feet to prove it. He nearly tripped once or twice but caught himself, not wanting the little one to fall as she began to fly around him with one hand of their hands clasped together. Hiccup almost didn’t feel the tug at his trouser leg.   
  
Looking down, Hiccup felt himself smile at the young Gronckle who was holding up a piece of jewelry towards him. The little boy dragon growled pushing it up towards him and Hiccup bent, letting the child place the piece of jewelry in his hair. With a child in both hands, he moved playfully as the music began to pick up, other children joining him at his feet.   
  
What would his father being doing about this time? It was around the time they were preserving meet for the harsh winter, collecting the grains to bury and making enough mead to keep people alive until next summer. This year they would have plenty since the dragons hadn’t attacked all summer. None of their sheep had gone missing, there were plenty of fish in the ocean, and he hadn’t wrecked anything in Berk. They were probably doing well without him.   
  
His movements slowed, his arms falling to his side as the little Terror flew off towards her parents for her first flower necklace. This place was just like Berk in so many ways. He had watched for weeks as the dragons preserved meat for the winter and collected fresh water for the families. In fact, even their infrastructure was the same as Berk. The chief (Gronky) ruled over fairly and equally. He made all the decisions but didn’t rule with an iron fist.    
  
Gronky stepped up to him, leaning on his cane with a relaxed pose. “It’s unusual for adults to join the children in the Dance of Rebirth.”   
  
A blush took his face. So that was what had been going on. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”   
  
“It is fine; it’s unusual but not forbidden.” The Gronckle turned his heavy body, shrugging a shoulder to have Hiccup follow him. “I didn’t think Njáll would bring you to our celebration. How goes your exploration of the old world ruins?” He accepted a drink from a passing Nadder, offering a sincere smile to it in passing.   
  
“It’s been.” Hiccup rubbed the fabric of his pants. “I’m trying to figure out Hadak through it. You are right over the old village that has the Berk symbol all over it but there’s no sign of any dragon attacks on that land. Why did my people leave this land? Why are the dragons and humans fighting? There has to be an answer somewhere.” Hiccup sighed. The sun was starting to lower at the horizon, the moon appearing on the other side of the land. Around him a sharp chill was picking up but no one else noticed. “How long has this party been going on?”   
  
“Since this morning.” Gronky made a low noise.   
  
“Toothless didn’t tell me anything about it until a few moments ago.” Hiccup felt his heart break. This looked like so much fun and he was only getting into the tail end of things. He had moped in his room all day because Toothless had kept yet another thing from him.   
  
Gronky nodded. “Do not blame Njáll, it was I who asked him not to bring you out. Not all dragons like humans and there would be conflict if they knew you were residing within our lands.” His eyes glazed over, hands clasped behind his back. Hiccup considered the new nervous air around the old dragon, filing the information away. “As for your questions about the land below us, it’s been centuries since the humans lived there. I do remember hearing a story from my father’s sire about the humans and dragons once living peacefully amongst each other there but I don’t know more than that. Perhaps there are more islands around like it?”   
  
“Have you ever left this land?” Hiccup raised a brow.   
  
“Hadak? Oh no.” Gronky smiled. “I was a scientist in my youth – a healer, much like Njáll.”   
  
“Toothless is a doctor?” He glanced over the hordes of dragons, to his companion who stood off to the wide with a Nightmare talking in hushed tones. At some point a child had come to the Night Fury’s side, looking up with big golden eyes while he pet it’s scaled head.    
  
Gronky nodded. “A skilled one too.” A claw tapped the wooden cane, the dragon’s smile stretched. “You two are getting along – yes?” Hiccup nodded. “That’s good, the way you two were acting those first two weeks I thought your decision to leave us was sealed. Now…I’m not sure. You seem to have made yourself a home here with us but I saw your face while you were dancing; you realized this isn’t home.”   
  
“Yea, it’s not Berk but that’s not all together bad. I love it here in Hadak, I really do but I also miss home – my father, my people. I don’t want to leave them, not forever.” Hiccup wrapped his arms around himself as a sharp breeze came past. “Especially if the dragon attacks on Berk are still going to happen.”   
  
“They will decrease exponentially, those attacks. Our people who have met you have grown a new respect towards humans that can only grow with your influence. I can tell you we won’t keep you here forever.” Gronky stared in the distance, toward Berk. Hiccup’s teeth clenched. “You’re not our prisoner. There’s just no way for our own to live aside the humans just as it’ll take some time for every dragon to accept a human living amongst us.”   
  
Berk was always in that distance, past the fog and stars. It was always sitting, waiting. There he was a blacksmith, here he was Toothless’ mate. There were so many options weighing on his mind, namely his future. There wasn’t much left for him in Berk and his future was still obscure in Hadak. It was like walking a rope blind. “When do you want my decision?” Hiccup cracked his eye open.   
  
“In a week would be preferable.”   
  
“I don’t need a week.” Hiccup turned, looking down at the dragon. He could almost hear his father in Berk, asking to know what was going through his head and why he couldn’t just think like any other Viking. At the same time he could hear his mother, while still a baby, whispering in his ear before she did to live strong, to live for himself. “I want to learn so much more about dragons. I want to learn all about the people, to let my people know.”   
  
The Gronckle turned, his old paws tightening on his cane. “What are you saying?”   
  
Near the gates, he saw Toothless talking with a guard that had his coat. Hiccup smiled as Toothless came towards them with the fur coat. He’d never had someone so attentive to his needs. He had never felt this flip-flop feeling in the pit of his stomach, ever. “I’m all right with mating Toothless as long as I can still visit home when I want.”   
  
“You are aware being with my heir means having his children?”   
  
Toothless was in hearing range, holding the coat out for Hiccup. Smiling, the little human tucked his arms in the jacket, letting his dragon-mate tighten the strings together, thus sealing off his body from the cold air of the ending summer. Taking the dragon’s hands in his own, Hiccup brushed his thumb over the hardened knuckles. His hands were small in comparison but that wasn’t new. Instead of feeling awkward, he just felt right.    
  
“I understand what I’m agreeing to. Toothless?”   
  
A dark head tilted to the side, a look of pure confusion on the dragonoid’s face.   
  
“Will you take care of me?”   
  
The dragon’s long mouth parted. His eyes were a mixture of confusion and nervousness as if saying,  _are you sure?_   
  
“I want to be your mate—I want to stay in Hadak with you.”   
  
He knew it was coming but it still didn’t stop him from being surprised as he was lifted from the ground and twirled around by the excited dragon. “Let go of me, stupid dragon! Help!”


	5. Chapter 5

There were more than just Gronky who could speak nearly perfect human. The oldest dragon came to him a day after he agreed to the mating ceremony, to teach him all he needed to know about his upcoming marriage to dragon culture.

Y'von reminded him of the village elder, so small and hunched back – even for a Nadder. Her blue-green scales had taken on a greyish hue with age; her wings hunched low to her back from muscle deterioration. She was in her final stages of life, Hiccup had learned. She had long since lost her ability to fly and transform and was given more respect than Gronky.

Once yellow eyes, now bleary and dull, trailed over him the day of his mating ceremony as tiny terrors worked on making his ceremonial robes. The old dragon took his hands in hers, long painted nails unintentionally scratching the back of his palms while she looked him over. Without question, she removed a gleaming blue gem from around her neck and put it on him before smiling. "Looks like Y'von's brother." She cooed.

"He looked like a child playing dress up?" Hiccup raised a brow. He felt too dressed up. The clothes he was currently having made for him were too rich for his style. The material, so thin, promised to rip as it was laced over his chest and sewn into the fabric of his linen. The custom make, however, was more of a dragons outfit than the human clothes he'd been wearing all summer.

From the mirror, he could see the high white collar of his tunic nestled just under his chin. It disappeared under another layer of clothes around his chest, a loose vest decorated with blue gems and intricate embroidery going up the left side. Unlike human tunics, the shirt stopped at his midriff, becoming his white leggings. The only thing he requested to be kept human were his boots, which were being made over in the corner.

Grunting as a Terror wrapped a tight rope around his waist, he waited patiently for that piece of decoration to be sewn in while watching Y'von move around him, talking lightly to herself in circles.

He had wished he could have met the female dragon earlier in his stay as she had many stories to tell but understood her heart couldn't take being disappointed with more humans. As a child, she had lived amongst the humans in the lands below, although she was too young at the time to understand why relations between humans and dragons had gone sour.

"Brother wanted to be human, like his mate." Y'von laced her fingers.

Hiccup jerked towards her. "Your brother was mated with a human?"

"Many dragons were mated with humans; humans with dragons. Y'von's own sire was the original child of dragon and human many moons ago." Y'von tapped the hollow head of a dwarf Terror, pointing to the fabric along his chest. She spoke in her language with a muffled tone before going to the window, her full weight on her cane. Hey eyes flickered and dazed before she exhaled "So many ceremonies," she commented.

Slipping away from the little dragons, Hiccup ignored the looseness of his shirt that slid open. Approaching the window, he looked at the skies, crowded with dragons, male and female alike. "Why aren't they landing?" Hiccup inquired.

"Dominate mate must publicly display ability. Collect birthing stone and proudly show wings for submissive." Y'von's tail twitched, watching Hiccup try to find Toothless in all the chaos. "Your mate has not returned. Hadak heir is too proud to bring back first rock found. This is no reason for submissive not to be prepared for ceremony. Y'von will teach you more." She nudged him forward with a brittle shoulder. Hiccup froze for the Terrors, holding his arms out so they could sew the sleeves of his second layer tunic. The second layer and the primary layer were sewn together tightly at his waist, accenting his hips that didn't actually exist.

Along with teaching him customs, Y'von had been teaching him Dragonese. He preferred her tutelage to others especially after the Gronckles and the Terrors at the watering hole had tried to teach him. Although he didn't know what he'd tried saying, watching Toothless rush out with a purple hue to his cheeks had been worth it.

He already knew, thanks to Y'von, a few words and phrases: yes, no, my mate, food, help, and other necessary terms. It was like being preened to be a wife, he complained at first. Luckily, he found that Toothless grew just as excited when he growled for food as he did when he had accidentally asked "do little one harder" (he would never forgive that Gronckle who taught him that while waving a water pail around like he was getting a bath).

When his legs were starting to feel numb, his throat scratchy, when the doors flew open and a two headed humanoid stepped in, arguing with itself. Y'von took her seat, staring expectantly at Hiccup.

"He's here?" Hiccup inquired. He didn't wait for the response before pulling himself in front of the mirror, trying to push his hair back. A flower brushed against his ear but didn't slip free even as he twirled, trying to get a good look at his ceremonial robes.

The short sleeved, white vest covered up an equally white long sleeved shirt. The top layer was tight against his chest, sewn together with intricate designs. Escaping from the short sleeves was the looser lower shirt that slipped to his fingers, weight with three of the most beautiful gems he had ever seen. The tight vest ended at his belly button but the looser under shirt grew loose down to his knees where more gems had been sewn into the hemline. He looked so…pure. He stopped short of twirling again, afraid to make himself sick.

"I, I'm getting married!" Hiccup stepped back, covering his lips. "Lady Y'von-!" He wasn't sure if he was happy or scared. It was becoming so real. "Ah! The wedding-mating-thing, how do I…" He bit his lip. No, that was a stupid question. He knew how  _humans_ had sex but how did humans and dragons do it? Toothless was so much bigger than him.

"Ancestors will guide you." Y'von didn't look at him. Njáll will keep you safe. Now find him." She waved him off. "Oh and child?"

Hiccup paused at the door, nervously playing with a gem on the hem of his shirt. "Yes, Lady Y'von?"

"Bring Y'von that human box you found in our old home." She turned her head away, to watch the Dragon Mating Flight outside the window. Hiccup froze in the threshold, fighting the urge to inform her it couldn't be open, that he'd tried. He doubted she would listen to him when he said it was still locked.

Most submissive dragons were able to spot their intended by smell. They would fly up and join, to bring their lover down to earth. Hiccup's inability meant modification on traditional ceremonies. He had to find Toothless from land, had to be able to summon him without words. It was a daunting task. How was he supposed to call out for one dragon when he couldn't use his words? Flying up to your rue love was easier than silently calling out.

The walk through the castle, his new home, was a long trip. He'd have to find Toothless and be guided back for his ceremony. A small smile fell on his lips as he made his way through the corridors, little Terrors following him in their own excitement. The lands consisting of the castle were abuzz with life – dragonoids eager to see their future leader's mate. Several onlookers were recent mates forgoing their own formal courtship to watch this event, to decide if the human was worthy of their beloved leader.

Hiccup's shoulders tensed under the scrutiny. He still expected one of the dragons to burn him to death for being in their midst. He gave a nervous smile to the little girl he'd danced with only a week before and she gave him a toothy grin back. It made him smile more sure of himself.

This weren't the people he grew up with but these people had opened their home to him without question to everything the people in Berk found fault in. He clasped his hands in front of him, making his way through the gardens, stopping right next to the clear fountains that he had taken time to learn the mechanism from.  _Here_ , he looked up at the skies, where thousands of dots flew around.  _Now how do I call for Toothless?_

People were watching him, curious as to how he would go about his part of the mating ceremony. He could almost hear a dragon whisper about how human's couldn't fly, how _shameful_.  _Who needs to fly when you can ride a dragon?_ Although that wasn't true. He wished he could fly without Toothless' assistance. He wanted to feel the wind in his face and go as he pleased. He wanted to race through the crowds with Toothless.

…He wanted to be able to fly around from that red shroud should it ever come, to chase after Toothless when the dragon disappeared. He wanted to fly with his children, to stop them from quarreling. He didn't want to be stuck on the ground, surrounded and scared. He wanted…

A roar sounded overhead, an angry-no, a worried call as Toothless came down from the heavens in a swoop. His first instinct was to land in preparation to fight but found the area safe before turning to Hiccup in worry. The human tensed, realizing he was starting to cry. How did Toothless know? How did he always know that the human was distressed? Hiccup wrapped his arms around Toothless' chest, digging his face into the giant dragon's broad chest.

"This is it, isn't it?" He asked.

Toothless' large tongue touched his lips, making Hiccup gasp, allowing the foreign object entrance. He had kissed the dragon a handful of time, it never ceased to surprise him the differences in his mouth to Toothless' lipless one. Both mouths didn't seal as a humans would have but it didn't feel wrong. Toothless' tongue filled his orifice, his claws into his face. He liked it when those hands moved to his ears, keeping his head in place. His own hands moved up the dragon's muscular chest to his broad, hard shoulders.

The long tongue of the dragon brushed over his flat teeth causing him to moan and push back, to catch his breath. Toothless was all grins as he stepped back.

"You're a stupid dragon, you know that?" Hiccup grumbled, touching his lips. It felt so strange.

Taking the humans hand, Toothless began leading the little human back through the crowds towards the castle. Y'von met them at the door patting Hiccup's hands with a proud smile.

"Child has learned to call his mate." She explained, stepping away. Hiccup smiled at her, his free hand trailing to the necklace she had put around his neck. Toothless tilted his head to the side, making an inquiring noise. Hiccup just smiled, lacing their fingers together as they made their way through the same corridors he had just moments before and toward the throne room in the center of the fine palace. Several dragons had made their way into the audience hall, to view the occasion.

Toothless grip of his hand tightened as the two approached Gronky, who was going to officiate the mating. The old ruler smiled at the two, taking Hiccup's hands from Toothless. "You're doing a wonderful thing." He released his hold on Hiccup's hands, letting the human step back with Toothless. "Does the Dominate bring the Birthing Stone?"

From his own robes, Toothless pulled out the finest stone Hiccup had ever seen. It was green in color on a long chain that Hiccup could tell had been created in his forge… a chain Hiccup had taught Toothless to make weeks prior. His eyes watered just looking at it, the first ever product of both him and Toothless.

Gronky accepted a silver grail from a Nightmare, holding out the cup. "Our ancestors and our descendents said here watching this proud moment when human," he nodded at Hiccup, "and dragon," he motioned Toothless, "come together in shared union for the first time in over four hundred years. For most standing before you, this is a surprise to see—our Njáll has grown into a man, has taken his first mate, the human Hiccup Horrendous Haddock from Berk…"

Hiccup was no longer paying attention, his sight enticed by Toothless who stood more than a head taller than him, a powerful dragon of high prestige for both humans and dragon – a frightful Night Fury. Would his father be of support to this mating? He doubted but he wanted to image his father standing in wait, ready to pounce any person (or dragon, be it as it may) who tried to ruin this moment of happiness.

"…For the Submissive, we have added parts to this ceremony to make him feel at home. Bijok?" He turned his head to the Nightmare who nodded and brought forward a fine sword that had, most likely, be crafted in Berk and brought back by accident years prior. Hiccup watched Toothless take it carefully.

The dragon nodded, offering the handle to Hiccup, who took it without question. A promise for a healthy son, he chimed mentally. May Thor protect him, he kissed the shaft of the blade, and just above the insignia he'd seen his whole life, Gobber's trademark.

Finally the grail was held between the two. "Bless our ancestor's blood with the Birthing Stone."

Toothless dripped the emerald into the thick mead, twirling the blessed stone in the liquid. He removed it carefully, waiting for his next instruction.

"This stone shall never come off for as long as your mating is approved. With it, blessed child, you can bear children. With it, you symbolize your mating. With it, you symbolize your promise to love, protect and cherish your mate." Toothless slipped it over Hiccup's head, the metal catching on the human's ears. A few chuckles filled the crowd but Hiccup wasn't listening, too engrossed with everything going on. "Take the Ancestor's Blessing, Child." The dragon lord indicated the grail to Hiccup, who reached out and took it with uncertainty. "With this blessing, offer it to your mate."

Hiccup raised the cup, trying to keep a good hold on it while Toothless took a sip, staring over the rim into his eyes. When finished, the large dragon took the drink and offered it back to Hiccup, who nervous swallowed what he could only identify as off colored mead. His body immediately felt warm, his stomach numb as he stepped back, brushing his fingers over his abdomen. He gave a curious look to Gronky, wanting to know if that's how he was supposed to feel but the dragon was already talking again, introducing Hadak to the newest mating pair. The grail was taken from, returned to the Nightmare.

He was more ready for Toothless to close their mouths together. He even moaned a little at the tongue entering his mouth, brushing against his own. Being picked up into strong arms didn't alarm him nor that he was being carried out of the room – he only giggled, wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck as he was carried out of the room and over the threshold.

"Are we mated now?"

The blush that took Toothless' face made him smile.  _Not yet._

They joined many other mated couples at a feast, sharing talk with families and swapping blessings for a happy mating. Many dragons came up to Toothless, filled with laughter and talk. A few women and submissive males took Hiccup's hands, looking over his gown before giving him a big hug that made him worry his bones would snap. He finally called touching off after the third dragon ruffled his ever growing hair.

It was already becoming too much when the moon began peeking over the horizon. Wrapped up in Toothless' arms, Hiccup was no longer paying attention to the dragons around him as he mentally prepared himself for that night. He was ready to get over his fear of the very untraditional sex. He just wanted to be alone with Toothless, away from all these dragons and the conversations he had little part of.

"When can we leave?" Hiccup whispered after a Nightmare had walked away. Toothless glanced at him with surprise, silently asking if he knew what was next for their mating. Hiccup gave him a nervous nod, allowing his hand to be taken. With a few farewells, they left the party at full swing all while ignoring the sound of lewd laughter.

The minute the door to Toothless' room was shut, Hiccup felt all the certainty in him vanish. He'd slept in that bed the last week. He'd been okay having Toothless' arms wrapped around him. Was he really okay with all this? While true they didn't have to immediately procreate, from what he understood about this whole ceremony, the mating wasn't finished until they joined as one. If Toothless left this room and didn't smell like his human, he'd be the product of ridicule.

Toothless' hand on his back brushed his side, reassuringly. He could almost hear it in his head, the reassurances that they didn't have to go any further if Hiccup wasn't feeling comfortable. Mating would occur one day. Hiccup lowered his gaze, still unsure. "Promise me you'll stop if I ask," he whispered softly, dragging Toothless over to the bed. It didn't matter if it happened now or next week, this was going to happen eventually.

Sharp claws brushed a loose strand of hair from his face and his lips were covered. A moan escaped from his lips as his arms moved to wrap around Toothless’ broad chest, dragging the dragon down with him on the bed. He tensed at the odd position, taking in everything going on around him. For instance, he never realized how short he was to Toothless until that moment as his lower half brushed against the dragon’s broad chest. Legs bent, angling over the high mattress, he was at the mercy of the bigger dragon currently rubbing all of his sensitive spots.   
  
Breaking away from the tongue that was doing such wicked things to his mouth, Hiccup turned his head to the side with a loud moan. Toothless’ claw scratched at his hip causing him to tense and buck. Another moan escaped his lips as those wicked fingers moved his tunic up, exposing a small line of skin. The claw brushed across the strip of flesh, just above his belly button.   
  
“Toothless!” Hiccup tried pulling away, embarrassed of the effects he was having to such tender touches. Pulling back, the dragon smiled pleasantly, still brushing his claw over the skin of his belly. He cooed softly, his tongue brushing under Hiccup’s chin.   
  
“’M not little.” Hiccup whispered.   
  
Shifting back, Toothless tilted his head.   
  
Resting on his arms, Hiccup giggled. “You’ve been calling me ‘ _Little One_ ’,” he purposely cooed in the same voice as Toothless had used, replicating the dragon tongue. “I have a name, _Hik-uhp_ .” He annunciated with a smile.   
  
Toothless growled softly with his coo, nuzzling Hiccup’s neck. “ _My Little One._ ” His next words were growled out, positively forced and individual in sound. Hiccup blinked, trying to figure out what Toothless was trying to do while repeating the phrase to himself. Toothless tried again, this time slow and working. It was still garbled with growls from the throat but it was taking form.   
  
_Toothless’ Hiccup._   
  
“Yes.” Hiccup grabbed the dragon’s claw, kissing it. “So let’s make it real.” He smiled. Yeah, he could do this.   
  
His shirt, he learned, had been sewn so tightly it couldn’t be removed. Stopped at his chest, he made a surprised noise when Toothless grew annoyed with the material and tore it off, leaving Hiccup exposed while he looked at the nice material still at hand. Sitting up, the human tugged the remains off his shoulder, mourning the loss of the outfit made especially for him. Those Terrors had worked so hard making it too…    
  
He didn’t get to think about it to long as he was pushed back by Toothless. The dragon’s tongue slipped up his chest and along his collarbone as the long claws prickled his skin. Hiccup shivered, trying to relax against the bed. So many new sensations, his mind felt so jumbled.    
  
“Uh!” Hiccup’s eyes snapped open when he felt sharp teeth pierce into his old mating mark. The clawed hands moved up to his ribs, rubbing him carefully. As the teeth retracted and soft gums brushed across his wounds, Hiccup felt himself relax. His small hands gripped the dragon’s horns, trying to pull the long tongue from his hot skin. Shifting his hips, he gasped in realization of his growing erection that pressed into Toothless’ chest.    
  
Pulling back, Toothless pulled his own tunic off, his muscles flexing with the movement. Flushed, Hiccup found himself reaching up, to touch the skin along the dragon’s chest. Rugged scales as far as they eye could see, so different than his own soft flesh. He hooked his fingers under a loose scale, pulling Toothless back to him, to his mouth. This was good, he decided. He liked kissing a lot.    
  
He tensed when his leggings were slid down with his linen, springing his forming erection free. Releasing his grip on Toothless, he looked between them, at the claw so close to his sensitive parts. When calloused knuckles brushed across the skin, he moaned , his thrusting for more. Toothless bowed back, his wings spread out over them, shielding their bodies. As the tip of the wing brushed over his skin, Hiccup reeled back, moaning deeply.   
  
Finally, his penis was enveloped in the hot, hard hand of his mate. “T, Tooth--!” Hiccup moved his leg back, tensed up and scared again as his leggings slipped down his legs, becoming lost under the two bodies with his boots. Glowing eyes stared into his, Hiccup tried to keep his own opened, to watch Toothless but he couldn’t. He was burning up. Stomach rolling, his fingers curled into the thin sheets under him with his toes.   
  
“Ah! Ah!” His head fell back, eyes closed. Toothless tongue slid down his neck, to his chest, across his nipples. “Nn! Toothless!” He tensed up as he came into the open hand until finally he slumped back feeling hot and exhausted. Was that all? How was he supposed to bear children like that? He cracked open his eye, watching Toothless as the dragon stepped back, cleaning his paw and the cloudy mess on it.    
  
“…That’s gross.” Hiccup whispered, trying to catch his breath.   
  
Toothless chuckled with a hallow growl. Bringing his clean hand down, he loosened the rope that kept his own long trousers on, letting the material fall from his hips. Mesmerized, Hiccup felt his heart pound as he noticed the biggest difference on his mate. The shelling that once wrapped from between his legs to his navel had dropped, hanging proudly on his body.  _So big_ , Hiccup blushed, realizing he’d been looking at his mate’s powerful erection.    
  
Scrutinizing their height situation, Toothless rolled his pointer finger in a circle, directing the human to turn around.   
  
Nervously, Hiccup did as asked. Climbing to his knees Hiccup glanced over his shoulders, trying to see what Toothless was up to. The dragon came toward the bed, dropping to his knees at Hiccup’s backside. On his knees, his face aligned itself perfectly with the human’s bottom. Hiccup tensed, waiting to see what his mate would do.    
  
Pressing his flat face between the round globes, Toothless breathed deeply. A loud screech escaped from Hiccup, surprised by the sensation of fine hairs along his backside moving. Trying to crawl away, he pushed his foot out towards the dragon. His ankle was grabbed, stopping him from attacking and moving out of the way as the dragon repeated the action. When Hiccup finally stopped fighting, the dragon’s tongue brushed across the boy’s anus.   
  
“W, what are you doing? S, stupid dragon!” Hiccup ducked his head into the sheet, feeling his face heat up. The tongue didn’t stop its ministration. Licking around the human’s entrance, Toothless clawed hand moved between the boy’s legs, playing with his balls that hung loosely. That helped Hiccup relax, his legs spreading more to give the dragon future access between his buttocks, to his anus. The dragon cooed, sending vibrations up Hiccup’s spine long before his tongue actually penetrated the tight muscles. “N, no!” Hiccup’s grip tightened on the blanket.   
  
So long and nimble, Toothless’ tongue pressed in deep along his insides. He slipped out with ease before plundering back in. Hiccup mewed softly, his legs slipping open more on their own accord. Breathing heavily, the human tried to look, to see what the dragon was doing but he couldn’t see anything more than Toothless’ head bobbing forward, making love to him with his tongue. He wasn’t going to last long if this continued…   
  
Noticing the human’s need, Toothless pulled his tongue out, licking one last tongue around the rim. His warm breath made Hiccup realize how wet his back entrance had become. Wiggling the human twisted his neck, to look at Toothless. _What are we going to do now?_   
  
Toothless gripped his own hard penis, sheathing it in his hand. From tip to base, he worked the tender skin now an angry black and pulsing. The head was purple, dripping with the same cloudy substance that had been licked off not long before. Hiccup tilted his head to the side. He knew how human males had sex with one another, he’d heard it through the tasteless jokes of his peers that spoke endearingly of their former conquest but would it work in this situation? Toothless was so  _big_ .   
  
A rumbling purr resonated from the dragon’s chest, a relaxing one as he approached. Hiccup stilled his breathing. “I trust you,” was his inaudible response to the silent request. Firm hands on his back made him tense but relaxed quickly, trying to focus on anything but was about to happen to him. Something hard pressed against his ring of muscles and the hand on his back began to pet him in reassurance. _Toothless won’t hurt me. Toothless won’t hurt me. Toothless won’t—_   
  
The mantra came to an abrupt stop when Toothless pushed in, past the ring of muscles. A searing burn rose up his spine. “Thor! Stop!” Hiccup tried pulling away but the firm hand on his back moved to his hips, pinning him in position. Toothless dick slipped back but ploughed further in before Hiccup could relax. Biting his lip, the human’s knuckles were white as he gripped the blanket. It was like being ripped in two…   
  
He shouldn’t have agreed to this. It was horrible! “S, stop! Ah!” Toothless leaned against his back, his tongue brushing across the marking on his shoulder. The human pulled away, fighting tears. “It hurts,” he whimpered. The purring only grew, trying to comfort the distressed little human. Under that purr was a pitiful sound of apology but Hiccup didn’t hear it, not over the blood pounding in his ears.    
  
After what felt like forever, the dragon began to slip out and Hiccup felt himself breathe and relax when (with no warning) Toothless pushed back in. This time, however, it felt different. He saw white, his nerves sang and his toes curled. Still holding tight to the blanket he readied himself this time when Toothless pulled out, aiming for that same spot. “Ah!” He panted, relaxing a little. He didn’t even have to turn around to see the grin on the dragon’s proud face.   
  
The slapping of flesh filled the room as Toothless picked up pace. His hold on the human’s hips tightened, keeping the boy in place as he rocketed in.    
  
“Ah! Ah!”   
  
Hiccup pushed back, wanting to feel more of that wonderful pleasure that made up for the burn in his backside. His mind was reeling in overdrive with each second, it never occurred to him the only other noise he could make, besides the moans and cries, was a simple dragon word he had learned in old Berk from the water suppliers.   
  
“ _More! More!_  Ah! Thor! Yes!” His stomach tossed and turned, the warm feeling returning to his gut as it had when he drank the mead at the ceremony. “T, Toothless!” His eyes grew wide as he felt something unfamiliar just outside his ass. Was that part of Toothless’ penis? It had looked normal earlier, albeit long and thick. It was like a ball trying to press into his butt. Was there room for it? “Ah! Oh!” Whatever it was pushed and pushed until the ring of muscles gave and it pushed past.   
  
“Thor!” Hiccup came hard as Toothless’ thrusts slowed. The dragon was breathing so heavy, his chest pressed to Hiccup’s back, his claws digging deep into the human’s hips.   
  
He felt so warm. Why was his body burning up? Hiccup mewed into the blankets as his erection returned. Toothless’ hips jerked in slow spasms, his penis, imbedded deep inside the human, only grew and grew, pressing into the bundle of nerves driving Hiccup wild. It was too much. “Mn.” His lip quivered as orgasm built up inside him. “T, Toothless…” Why was the dragon not moving as much? Why wasn’t he coming as well to this incredible feeling?    
  
And then it came. With a mighty roar, Toothless’ wings spread out behind him, his back arched as he came hard, filling the human with his dragon seed. Hiccup cried out with his own orgasm brought on by the powerful spill inside him. Unable to take anymore, he dropped on the bed, panting and waiting as his mate continued to fill him. What started out pleasurable soon left a burn. He felt like he was expanding, taking in too much. He moaned softly, his throat too raw to make any real noise.    
  
The bulge that had pushed in began to shrink, fading out of existence before Toothless pulled completely out with a wet, audible  _pop_  but Hiccup didn’t care. His legs slid down, his breathing still out of control. Slumping next to his human, Toothless wrapped his arms around the smaller figure, pulling the boy against his chest while repositioning both bodies on the bed for further comfort. Hiccup lazily glanced up at the dragon as his vision blurred, tiredness creeping in.   
  
“…I kind of liked that.” He whispered before letting sleep claim him.   
  
That night his dreams were filled with little dragon hatchlings and a very naked Toothless.


	6. Chapter 6

There had been a time when Hiccup's future was unclear. It had occurred a week after his mating period, the first second he stepped outside of Toothless' chambers to find food in Hadak. What as he supposed to do now? While there was no question that he was pregnant (the necklace he wore shined brightly with magic after their first coupling), it would be months before he would have a baby to care for. Until then, he had to find something to do.

He tried his hand at various jobs and was, more often than not, met with Toothless denying him right. He spent many mornings running after dragons, taking in their language and learning he would not be capable to make many of their phonemes. It did not mean he wasn't able to comprehend their body language and low growls and it gave him a spark to learn.

Pages tucked around him, Hiccup settled himself by a toasty fire deep inside Hadak, Hiccup hummed a soft tune to himself that had been taught to him by the mothering dragons that lived up in the columns above Hadak. He had learned recently that each child was raised by the village. There were families, such as mother, father, and child, but real family was the group which was lived with. Toothless was Hiccup's mate but his family was the tower dragons that lived in the palace. It was a good note to make in his footnotes before he went into depth on the development of a Terror, from legless baby to flying Terror.

"Child."

Jumping, Hiccup tucked his graphite next to his faded pages, a timid smile on his face. "Y'Von." He nodded to the old dragon and the Nightmare carrying the familiar crate he'd given up prior to his mating. Strange, he realized, he'd been so busy he'd forgotten about it. "Did you open it?"

"The magic seal has been broken." Y'Von settled across from him, nodding at the Nightmare Guard to leave them and the crate. "How much have you learned from our people."

Hiccup smiled, rubbing his eyes. "Not much, I'm still learning your language. There're a lot of words I still don't know. Vizar – he works in these kitchens – was telling me about his flight from the North but I don't know why. His words grew more complicated after that." He picked up his pen, making narrow scratches at the bottom of his page. "Gronky was telling me about when he was a little hatchling, before his succession into power. Apparently there was a war but he didn't go into a lot of detail about it."

"And he wouldn't." Y'Von nodded. "We do not like to think of our brothers in the North. We abide by Our Queens' rule because she has shown she can destroy all that Hadak stands for."

"Please, can you tell me everything that happened?"

Y'Von's hazy eyes burned into his soul. "You would not want to hear of Hadak's bloody past, what I remember of it."

"I do." Hiccup settled his pen, pushed it away.

The Nadder sighed, pointing toward the chest while instructing him to bring it forward. Hiccup did, opening the chest. The contents inside the chest had long since returned to the planet, Hiccup learned. There was a few crumbling remains of rock at the bottom but its story would forever be lost like the small village under Hadak. It wasn't a complete loss, however, as his fingers brushed over deep engravings inside the box. Words, he realized with some surprise.

Not just any words – human words.

There was the occasional mark that he wasn't familiar with, perhaps a word loss to the tides, but it didn't make the language unreadable.  _Bjon Jesk Haddock…settled near Herserm_ (at least that's what Hiccup believed the word to be) _...children, three…married…Emperor…Drak-…_ Hiccup climbed nearly on the table, reading the ring of letters around the top of the chest, labeling the item for delivery to avoid someone else taking possession of the contents.

It was never sent out but apparently it used to house documents and currency for the Emperor's mate, this Bjon Jesk Haddock. Hiccup's eyes narrowed. That name was familiar because it had spiraled from his father's mother's side. She had given him the  _Haddock_ surname out of pride even though it wasn't clear whether he'd live through the night. Had his relatives really came from this land and he was related to…an emperor?

"I am the last of the Old Lands, no more than a new hatchling when the war happened. What I know was told to me by my mother, in my youth before her death. The dragons you see before you are the New Age. I am the last surviving Old Age, not even an active participant." Y'Von closed her bleary eyes. Hiccup chewed on his lip, afraid to ask what had happened to the "Old Age" dragons.  _Better yet: why isn't Gronky one of the Old Age?_

"This will be my four hundredth summer. How time flies." The dragon hummed softly. "Dragons," she explained, "usually do not live past two hundred or so summers. The Queen says humans took away our life span, I disagree."

"Did your father live long?" If he remembered correctly, before his mating ceremony, the old dragon had admitted her father had been a mix of dragon and human. Maybe that would explain why Y'Von had lived so long. "And why doesn't anyone else remember humans and dragons being mates?"

Y'Von shook her head. "My sire died at the beginning of the human-dragon split. Eggs and hatchlings were brought to the world in the heavens, for safety. Those born to resembling humans were eliminated at birth. The dragons from the North, who had not partaken in the human flesh as we had, came and performed the service and mated those who were once mated to humans. My mother hid me in the lands telling me the stories before the war and the causes. By then, there were only four Old Age dragons left. Every day another died and our past was being hidden by those of the North."

"I'm confused." Hiccup admitted. "I thought we were at peace—what happened?"

"Four hundred summers ago, a human murdered his mate – the crowned heir of our lands. My mother never understood why it happened or maybe she did and never explained it to me. I do know the Royal family had the human and his family called in. The human, at the time, was pregnant – much the same way you are now. We dragon…do not normally attack those unable to defend themselves. She says they killed the human there before his family – ripped the baby out of him and watched the child die beside its mother."

Hiccup swallowed hard as his stomach turned. How…barbaric.

"The humans retaliated. For every two dragons killed, four humans were murdered and vice versa. Four to every six, twelve to every nine – a chaotic civil war. Mates were at each other's throat, unsure who to trust. My sire, like so many that was born from a mixed mating, were brought out and murdered by dragons, slain in the middle of town. I was born somewhere within the bloodshed, the night my brother helped human mate flee into the night before having his own wings ripped off by the guards for being a traitor."

"So the humans fled these lands?" He touched the chest. "This person was mated to the Emperor?" He pointed out the symbols. Y'Von's hummed.

"There may be more dragon in you than believed just as the human side of us sometimes overpowers our own self."

"Gronky said it was because our Island of Berk was floating into Hadak."

"For the New Age, that is part of the problem. They know that at one point our kind and your kind are in harmony but all that remains is the stories the North gave us for why we fight, to save our kind."

"Who is the North?" He'd been hearing nothing but bad about them and it occurred to him that the dragons that had landed in the old lands that first day, the ones that had destroyed possible answers, had flown in from the North.

Y'Von's lips forced back. "The North are...they are our family, yes, but they are our enemy at the same time. Hadak believes that humans can be managed if taken caution to. We once lived with them in peace, perhaps we can obtain that. It's easier, of course, to preach this than abide by it. We shift into this form willingly because it's an accepted part of us and _not_ a final attack from the humans as those of the North are raised to know. Those in the North scorn this form and will not shift into it."

Those Nadders didn't, Hiccup recalled.

"Njáll came from the North." Y'Von whispered offhandedly.

"What?"

The Nadder nodded. "Originally he was the Queen's Heir, her planned mate. He came to Hadak twenty summers in what we believed was an effort to force us to give up our human-like ways and join our people as one human-hating kind. Only, he never demanded we stop transforming. He took our half-form one evening, so many summers ago, and requested to be a doctor, like our leader."

"Why?"

"He has never said." Y'Von hummed. "Perhaps that is your job to learn what has changed his mind."

Hiccup frowned, wrapping his arms around his middle. "He was supposed to mate the Queen?" He tried.

"Njáll was supposed to but he's joined with someone else, it's near impossible for him to mate with someone else…unless something were to happen to you. Even then, Njáll may never recover to his mateship being severed; even to take on another mate. She could still… force him into their union but dragons do not bear children they do not want." Hiccup's thumb moved soothingly over his belly. "I would not worry, while I doubt Njáll has sent word of his union, I do not see our people allowing anything to happen to their human." At his confusion, Y'Von smiled. "You are as much our family as the next, human is well respected and loved."

Lowering his head, Hiccup's cheeks turned red. "I wish someone knew why the first murder happened."

"It's lost to time." Y'Von sighed. "Forgive me child, I must leave." She climbed to her feet, politely excusing herself from the room, leaving the chest with its original owner. Hiccup brushed his fingers over the old worn chest before leaving it on the table.

He found Toothless in the inner chambers that served as a clinic. The dragon was dressed in his ceremonial white symbolizing he was a healer, contrasting with his dark skin. The creature gave a wide smile at Hiccup and stepped forward, brushing his lipless mouth to the human's. Hiccup smiled when they parted before moving around the dragons laid out on the ground.

A couple dragons nodded in his direction as he passed them, allowing Toothless to glance over their wounds while Hiccup watched with interest. A few, he realized sadly, would never recover enough to return to duty. They would become fancy foot soldiers in the castle and their eyes stated how much they knew it. "That dragon…his left tail fin is missing." Hiccup blinked at the lone dragon in the corner. The creature, in his humanoid form, was a towering monster and yet looked so small at the same time. Its golden eyes watched Hiccup and it hissed lowly when he approached to check out the creature's tail.

Toothless' mouth pulled back, bearing sharp teeth. He growled lowly, the words so clear to Hiccup's accustoming ear, " _You dare harm my mate._ "

"Hush." Hiccup glowered at his own mate. He smiled warmly at the dragon before him. "You can't fly with a tail like that." He'd witnessed so much flight these days; it seemed only second nature to guess why such a dragon would seem so upset. Hiccup would be too if something so important was gone.

The dragon glowered, it's horn-like ears pulled back. " _Do not touch!_ "

Hiccup ignored the dragon's warning, touching the dragon's thick tail when the fin had been burned off. The scales were burned silver, contrasting with the dragon's dark skin. It blistered in some spots where concentrative curing had occurred but there was no way to fix such damage.  _But I can fix this…_ "Toothless, I need some supplies."

Toothless scowled nodded as Hiccup listed out necessary materials, including leather and screws. Opening his dragon book, Hiccup pulled out a blank page and scaled out the tail with a pleasant smile.

"I think I can help you fly but…you'll have to work with me on this."

The dragon turned his head away and Hiccup could only smile. Not completely disappointing, he decided as he worked out a prosthetic limb to replace the lost fin. It have to be light, he noted as the material was brought to him. His mate gave his a peck on the temple before returning to his own work with first time mothers and their children, having their tiny wings checked.

The prototype took less time than he expected. Sitting on the poor dragon's tail to avoid it from sneaking away from him, Hiccup worked quickly. The leather rope tied firmly and the fin, he realized, would have to be sturdy. It was going to be flying with this dragon through tight spots, keeping the dragon level in flight. Satisfied with the prototype, Hiccup removed the strap and carried it towards the door with a pointed smile. "Recover and I'll have this made up in a week."

Toothless scowled, meeting him outside the room. He seemed talkative but Hiccup only picked up few of his words. His thoughts were racing over his busy day, including his new project. If this worked he could find a thing to keep him busy. A smile slipped on his lips as he laced fingers with his mate's as they made their way to the canteen to gather some food. Hiccup was given an extra helping of fish that he thanked appropriately to the service help in the kitchens.

Meals were a time to relax in dragon culture. If gossipers had a form, Hiccup was certain that these very creatures were the epitome of it. Toothless usually stayed around long enough to make sure Hiccup was comfortably eating before disappearing for end of the day meetings. Before today, Hiccup would have wandered the castle, doing interviews and learning the language. Today, he rushed back to his and Toothless' room, dropping his materials on the ground and sought out his tools.

By the time Toothless returned from his meetings, Hiccup was testing the sturdiness of the fin by tossing it across the room and letting it glide on its own. He'd have to attach the leather bindings tomorrow and then start testing it in flight. Speeding to a stop at the door and catching the fin midair, Hiccup grinned at his mate, bending his head back to accept the heavy kiss from his mate.

"I finished the model, check it out!" Hiccup held the prosthesis up. "It's not the prettiest but I think it'll survive any flight." He tossed it towards the far outer wall, letting it fly on its own. The glide was beautiful, if he could say so himself. It wouldn't carry anything, but it could allow the control in flight that dragon was now missing. Reaching his arms to collect the fin midair, Hiccup inhaled sharply when strong arms wrapped around his belly and a flat nose pressed against his neck. The prosthetic fin landed softly in another side of the room, forgotten

Twisting, Hiccup raised his arms around Toothless' neck, bringing the dragon to his mouth. "I like kissing," he whispered as he brought Toothless towards their bed. There was so much he loved than just the kissing such as the breathless moans that escaped his lips as soft gums brushed his sensitive nipples. There was the feeling of warm scales in his own mouth as he moved down, the hard casing of his lover's shaft, the pulsing vein on his tongue. There was a power Hiccup never knew he possessed until he was on his knees between the legs of a powerful dragon, bringing delightful noises to a lipless mouth as claws tightened in his hair.

And then a powerful screech filled Hadak.

"Ow!" Hiccup winced when Toothless pulled him away by the roots of his hair. He heard the sound too but that didn't mean he had to be yanked away so hard. Rubbing his scalp, Hiccup stared out the window, trying to understand what was going on. His mate was faster though, shifting into his dragon form and flying off, leaving his semi-naked lover on the floor.

There was a flurry of feet outside his door as guards pushed the big door open and Y'Von settled in, looking more tired than she had been earlier. "What's going on?" Hiccup whispered, tightening his tunic around his body. "Toothless just flew off and…"

"I requested to stay with you until the situation is handled." Y'Von settled on the furthest chair, mindful of the two's private nest. Hiccup frowned, realizing that since his mating, no one had actually passed that threshold besides Hiccup and Toothless. "I heard you met a man whose flight was…disrupted."

"Oh yea," Hiccup nodded, searching the floor for the fin. "No big problem, with this. I figure if I rope some additional pulleys to it, he can control his direction with a tug to his tail. It'll take some training but it's better than not flying."

Y'Von shook her head. "Such planning…for naught. The young dragon, he will not need it where he is." She gazed out the window. "He has taken the final plunge."

Blood chilled. "What?"

"We have never had a solution for the flightless. Those who lose their flight so young are unable to cope…and take great lengths to avoid facing reality. That call you heard, that Njáll ran out on, was a final song, a decisive one before a dragon takes its own life."

"What?" Hiccup dropped his gaze. He was going to help that dragon; he couldn't be…dead? Only warriors could enter Valhalla and there was no denying that a dragon who committed suicide wasn't a warrior by Viking Standards. Even his father had a sword that his ancestors had died with that he was going to pass on to his son if they didn't die in battle. Only…Hiccup didn't want to believe that the dragon he was going to help would end his own life so quickly.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would, child."

"Not the first suicide." Hiccup admitted. "I'm tired…I've been working on that…toy since we last spoke." Y'Von nodded, excusing herself. "Lady Y'Von?" Hiccup chimed, staring at the dark night sky.

"Hm?"

"You didn't kill yourself when your wings stopped working so is this common?"

Y'Von shook her head at the door. "I never said my wings worked, either." Y'Von admitted. "I would have preferred to die my first flight when I landed in the water but mother fished me out, said I had other purposes than flight." She tested her wings, they barely moved. "There's nothing worse than being a dragon that cannot fly." She shut the door, leaving Hiccup alone in the room.

In the corner of his room, a grand mirror stood and he stared at his reflection for only a second. Would his child not fly? If not…would Toothless murder his child? Hiccup touched his belly, looking away from the mirror. Would his baby take the very plunge if it could not fly?

"I could have helped." He whispered to the still room.

What could he have done? He barely mentioned to the dragon what he was doing and the creature had seemed less than amused with his probing its damaged limb. Had Toothless known that this would happen?

Lying on the bed, staring out at the night sky whose silence had been shattered by the talk of many dragons at once. Wrapping his arms around his growing belly, Hiccup closed his eyes and fought off the nightmares that plagued him until Toothless climbed back as the early sun peaked over the horizon.


	7. Chapter 7

The first snows came late that year. Clouds hung low and the mist from below rose up, encasing the floating lands in a blanket of white as far as the eye could see. Hiccup had to be extra careful when he left the palace grounds because of how hard it was to tell where the sky started and the land ended.

He was greeted the first morning of snow with a slight burn from Toothless. Hissing awake, Hiccup swatted the arm wrapped around his middle, never once cracking his own eyes open. With the change in temperature this wasn't the first time he'd woken up to being overheated and he doubted it would be the last. Toothless as a concerned mate, always ensuring that Hiccup was warm at all times. The fire inside the dragon burned strong and from a good distance, the human could still feel it radiating and accepted the warmth.

Today, however, he couldn't. "Are you trying to roast our baby?" He finally asked, switching sides so he could stare at his snoozing mate. Thick eyelids moved, a sign of the Night Fury regaining consciousness slowly. Exhaling loudly, Hiccup tossed his legs over the side of his bed, stretching his limbs. His back popped, a sigh of pleasure escaping his lips.

A breeze entered the window, blowing his first attempt at curtains hazardously. Hiccup shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. It wasn't even near the end of the year but it was so cold. Grabbing his skinned coat, the human tugged it on before climbing out of bed, making his way towards the chamber pot in the corner of the room.

"Wake up," murmured the boy after he finished his business, prodding the dragon's wing. "I'm hungry and you promised fish today." He pinched the soft bone in the dragon's wing, enjoying the strange texture under his palm. "Too-oothless…" He hummed against the humanoid's ear flap, blowing warmly along the scales. "Come on, the baby's hungry too."

Toothless groaned, tossing on his side, cracking his eye open. Hiccup's smile softened. He had heard from Y'Von during his studies that some dragons in Hadak slept all winter. A few were able to stay awake the entire season (a resilience of their past human heritage) but those that had closer roots to the dragons of the North needed their sleep. Toothless, he had grown to realize, had closer roots to the dragons from the North than from Old Berk.

Lately his mate had seemed so lethargic.

"You don't have to get up if you can't." Hiccup amended his request, petting his lover's rough hand. The grip tightened around his wrist and Toothless pushed himself up on one arm.

" _If I said fish,_ " He growled lowly, words that surrounded Hiccup with warmth, " _Then my mate gets fish._ "

Hiccup's wide smile returned as Toothless went about his morning routine at a much slower pace.

Dragonese was an interesting language. While he couldn't make all the sounds himself, he could at least pick up the change in hum resonating from his mate…when the words were simple. His private dictionary was already becoming full with words and soon to need more pages as he entered the birthing words. A baby, in the dragon language, consisted of a couple hundred words. Luckily, most referred to the process in one word for him but he was soaking in their language faster than in tunic in a pond.

The chest from the lower world was now permanently situated in their private chambers. Hiccup kept his things in it, including the saddle he had first made what felt like years ago. Pulling the worn cloth out, he checked the bindings for any structural faults. "Gronky said that you'll start getting busy this week," he mentioned offhandedly. He was sure the leader had prepared if Toothless was unable to perform his duties but he had to ask. "The Terrors really start laying eggs now?" He couldn't have been pregnant more than four months himself.

Subconsciously his arms wrapped around his belly where he could only imagine a baby inside. With his knowledge so far of children, he doubted he'd ever actually feel a child. Apparently all dragons laid eggs and the few stillbirths they did have were because the protective shell had never developed. No one knew how his baby was going to come to the world but he had been reassured it was very much alive inside of him.

" _Ready?_ " Toothless asked, holding up another coat Hiccup hadn't seen before. Grumbling, Hiccup allowed the dragon to put the heavy fur material over his shoulders. The human snuggled into the material with a quiet nod. Toothless lead the way through the warm palace and into the cold air outside. Hiccup walked carefully, brushing snow away with his feet to find concealed ground and not air.

Under his hand, Toothless transformed with a sound of bones snapping. His long wings spread out when he was in dragon form, his tail extended. Securing the harness around his mate, Hiccup stumbled his way on his mate's back. "Ready." He tightened his grip on the harness. The initial flight usually threw him off kilter. Toothless shook the last bit of tiredness from his head before soaring into the white clouds, disappearing into the daylight.

East from Hadak, snow was still falling, promising to move into the village within the next hour. Hiccup lowered his body into Toothless' more solid form, where heat radiated. The wind's chill made his eyes water and his lips chap but it was comforting at the same time. He needed this flight – this escape with his mate. If those Terrors did begin to lay eggs that day, Toothless was going to be busy. That was only if the need to sleep didn't become overpowering.

They broke the cloud barrier around the time Hiccup couldn't feel his ears. Pressing the appendage into his dragon's back, the human made a soft noise. Toothless growled in return. It was a deep call, a promise that they were almost to the fishing grounds.

Apparently Hadak also had food rations during the winter. These kinds of trips were so rare since it was time consuming and near impossible to bring back enough food to feed a village. Toothless shifted seamlessly through altitudes, cooing softly in warning as they dropped. The warm sun hit Hiccup's back as ice cased seas became yellow and brown. Toothless soared low, just over the blue ocean until he came upon a coast.

Climbing off his mate's back, Hiccup crossed his arms to supply a little warmth to his chilled body. It wasn't summer but at least it wasn't snowing. "I'm going to find a branch."

Transforming back into his humanoid form, Toothless pulled off his harness before starting a fire near the beach.

Humming in delight, Hiccup stumbled across the flattened grass nearing tree lines. He found a perfect branch halfway up the hill, which he swung around absently. "Toothless!" He twisted around. His lazy dragon glanced up from his spot by the fire. "Just like when we met!" He swung the branch around absently. Dropping next to his mate, Hiccup pulled out a small knife from his belt, whetting the tip. Toothless snuggled into his side.

" _When Little One hit me, yes._ " He growled.

 _So that's what I hit._  "It was an  _accident_ ," Hiccup pushed playfully on the sturdy arm next to him. "You still wanted to mate with me soon after anyway." Absently he touched the mark under his coat and tunic, the reddened symbol of his mating that seemed ever present since he came to Hadak.

It was reflex that had his head tilting when Toothless' flat mouth pressed against the warm skin there. " _A bad on my youth…_ "

The knife dropped out of Hiccup's hand. "Y, you-!" He pushed on Toothless' sturdy arm again. "'Bad on my youth.' Yeah right! You just wanted this piece of this warrior – the first to hit a Night Fury and live to tell about it." He playfully stuck his nose up, his grin stretching far.

This time it was Toothless that playfully knocked into him but, unlike the dragon, Hiccup fell over. He was pushing himself back up when Toothless playfully climbed on him, mindful of his now-showing belly. Sharp nails danced along his sides, playfully as the flat mouth pressed against his ears. " _Warrior huh? This does not sound like a warrior._ " His assault didn't quit as his sharp nails brushed along sensitive sides that caused Hiccup to erupt with laughter as it had once done a long time ago.

Shaking like a leaf, Hiccup trying to crawl out from under the dragon, breathing hard. Flipping onto his back, he screeched in delight as his coat and tunic was raised, the cold air going unnoticed as claws continued to tickle at his sides without barrier. After what felt like forever, Toothless' hands came to a still on the boy's belly, where there was a definite bulge, a bit of hardened flesh. An egg, Hiccup had figured when he touched the skin for the last week. Barely noticeable except for those familiar with Hiccup's stomach.

Hiccup brought his hands down, closing them on Toothless' with a pleased sound. "That's our baby," he whispers.

Toothless' tongue brushes over the flesh, leaving a comforting burn in its wake. A kiss for a daughter to continue linage, Hiccup realizes. Warm eggs meant girls and cold eggs meant boys, Y'Von had once told him. Hiccup brushed his fingers over Toothless' chin, bringing the dragon up to kiss his flat lip-less mouth.  _I don't care what it is, I just want it to be able to fly and be healthy._ No more honorable deaths – not for his hatchlings.

He was going to take the kiss to the next level, to have his mate there where the whole world could see their union when his belly growled and a smile stole his expression.

Toothless pulled back, as if burnt. " _I forgot first meal._ " He climbed to his feet, kicking aside Hiccup's makeshift spear in favor of fishing himself.

Hiccup snorted, sitting up. He rubbed his belly absently before climbing to his feet. "I'm going to find some kindle." He shouted over his shoulder as he made his way back to the treeline, picking up sticks and a few handfuls of dried grass he was on his way back to their site when he felt a stab in his gut.

Wincing, Hiccup paused and took a deep breath. Not feeling the pain again, Hiccup continued on, dropping the material into their fire as Toothless came back with two large fish at hand. Hiccup speared both on his stick and held them over the flame. The sturdy arm around his belly was comforting as he considered his belly, looking for something that could be off.  _I must be hungry_ , he reasoned pleasantly as he leaned against Toothless' side.

They were playing a game of chase when a Terror flew in with the message that the first female was laying her eggs. Dousing the fire, Hiccup cleaned up the camp site as Toothless tied the harness around his broad chest before transforming so Hiccup could fix the straps. Hadak was a distance from their campsite and Hiccup spent it reliving the moment of playing games with his mate while enjoying the other's company.

When they arrived back in Hadak, Toothless gave him an absent kiss before going to the clinic while Hiccup made his way to the kitchens with the fish he had brought back from their trip. He offered the fish to the dragons, a present of jerky for other dragons, before returning outside to play in the snow while it was still manageable.

Since he had left earlier that day, the snow had piled to his ankles, barely a threat but enough to make him shiver in his boots as he began rolling a ball of it. As his ball of snow grew in size, he was aided by a few of the children who had come out in curiosity for the weather and him. A few were sluggish in their movement, probably aching from the cold but overpowered by the call of youth to play.

Many of these young, by next spring, would take their first full flight to Berk. All but a handful would return. It was just a matter of where home was for them and Toothless had said he took the same flight when he was a boy but he returned home, to the North. Something had broken in him much later and made him stay in Hadak, with those of completely a different ideology than his own. Almost the same thing that had made Toothless want to mate a human.

Clumping a smaller ball of snow in his arms, Hiccup waved a set of twin Chickenpoxers that liked to fight in the northern towers like little humans with fake swords. They bent down next to him, looking around the ball of white towards the guards on either side of the main entrance. Hiccup offered the twins his snow ball and made a throwing motion while covering his lips. The two bounced around in excitement, tossing the ball with force that made it crumble mid-flight until powder hit the dragons at the door.

Hiccup bit back his own laugh but the two Gronckle-Nightmare hybrids weren't as lucky. They chortled with laughter, falling on their plump stomachs unaware that the guards were approaching them. Hiccup noticed first, inhaling sharply before darting away. On the ground, one of the twins opened his eye and inhaled sharply before rushing in Hiccup's direction, leaving his brother on the ground.

Not sure what else to do, Hiccup bundled up more snow and tossed it, knocking into one of the two guards and catching the little one's attention. With both dragon's at his side, he tossed another snow ball and laughed and the confusion written over the two guard's face – until he was hit by a snow ball. This time it was the guard's turn to laugh, bending on his companion. Sputtering, Hiccup declared war, throwing snowballs as fast as he could make them with the aid of his two Chickenpoxers who weren't fairing as well.

They finally called it quits when Hiccup's clothes were soaked and the two Chickenpoxers were called in for dinner. One of the guards laced his arm with Hiccup's, smiling pleasantly as he lead the human inside while using his own body heat to keep the boy warm. They were halfway down the corridor when the sharp pain in his belly had him leaning completely on the dragon, hissing. The guard's red eyes, filled with fear, turned to him and Hiccup smiled reassuringly as the pain ebbed away into nothing.

"I'm just being too active." He hummed softly. "I should lay down a bit."

With the dragon's help, he undressed and climbed into his and Toothless' bed. He didn't expect the dragon to take his word on it but when he wasn't greeted with his overprotective mate, he found the urge to close his eyes and nap. He was woken from his nap by the side of his bed sinking and Toothless' tail lying over his still form. Grumbling, Hiccup snuggled deep into his blankets, mindful of the dull ache in his belly.  _Maybe it's that fish I ate_.

"All the eggs birthed?" Hiccup inquired, curling on his side to hold his mate's thick tail.

" _Yes._ " Toothless rubbed the scales on his head. " _This groups. Is Little One cold?_ " The dragon reached for the blanket, ensuring that it was snug around Hiccup's bare shoulders. His eyes narrowed in thought, his larger head brushing next to Hiccup's neck. " _You're really hot_." He stated calmly.

Brushing his hands over his warm cheeks, Hiccup frowned. He was, wasn't he? He actually felt really cold and his lower stomach was aching. His hands tightened around the tail, ducking his head. "I think it's the fish. I've never had those kinds before." His finger curled and uncurled absently, scratching the scales until a purr finally sounded from the dragon. "I'll be fine, don't coddle." Stretching his back, the human pushed himself up, reaching for his clothes that had been hung up to dry.

" _I have to leave. Tomorrow._ " Toothless finally growled, staring off in the distance.

Hiccup frowned, tugging on the ties to his trousers. "Are you sure you should? That storm that is coming in will probably make it colder than today." In other words, there wasn't a guarantee that if Toothless did make it, he'd be able to return. He could tell the dragon was really trying to stay awake for his human this season. If he went any further north, he'd probably go into a slumber until spring and then…

Hands on his belly, Hiccup grumbled, "I don't want you leaving me."

Toothless smiled sadly. " _The Queen calls for me. Many births this season._ " Toothless helped Hiccup with his shirt, a shamed look on his face. He knew to it might mean he won't be back for the season, when Hiccup really needed his mate. " _I have to – to…_ " The last part is a growl that Hiccup's not familiar with but he knows whatever it is would be important. Winter in this area would be harsh this year and with him pregnant this season, he had a need for his mate. He trusted his life in Gronky's claws but it wasn't the same as having Toothless next to him.

"Can't anyone else go?"

" _Little One…_ "

Hiccup dropped his gaze. He wasn't going to win this. "You can't go to sleep up there." He put his foot down. "As soon as those births are done, I want you to come back." He swallowed hard, crossing his arms across his chest. This was not making the pain in his stomach go away. "And you can't stay gone for too long."

Toothless pulled him into his chest with a throaty laugh. Tilting his head back, Hiccup accepted the kiss.

" _Let's get you some food._ "

Hiccup twisted around, wrapping his arms around the dragon's thicker neck. "I'm not hungry."

He had to stand on his toes to really reach the dragon but it felt right to do so. This height differences didn’t matter when they were laying down and that was exactly what Hiccup was going to do, hold his mate for the remainder of the day. Like a trained dog, Toothless allowed himself to be led over to the straw mattress and pushed down with his smaller human above him. He only purred as Hiccup’s teeth nipped at his neck, tilting his head back in an act of submission.   
  
There was something so naughty about this act, like Toothless was throwing everything away to give the human a sense of entitlement.  _You’ll always be fighting for him,_  his mind chimed. _Everyone wants his attention and you have to fight to make sure he sees you._   
  
The loincloth Toothless wore was a thicker material of white, a sign of a healer. It crumpled under Hiccup’s eager hands, ripping along the soft rope that kept it tied up. Hiccup sat up, watching the darker flesh of the dragon’s penis soften from its protective casing along his belly, falling along the bed where it would quickly harden again to become a formidable weapon. Hiccup ran his tongue over the soft flesh where the protective shell has been, experience telling him that was a highly sensitive spot on his mate.   
  
Toothless groaned, fisting the rumbled blankets below his heavy body. Hiccup nibbled his way back up, back to his lipless mouth as his hands worked on removing his trousers again. Naked from the waist down, Hiccup settled himself on the dragon’s toned stomach, drawing circles across the dragon’s chest. Beneath his bottom he could already feel the dragon’s penis, thickening up nicely, alert and awake. Nothing needed to be said, he could practically hear the dragon’s voice vibrating in his chest.   
  
_Yes, Little One, I see only you_ .    
  
“You have to come back.” Hiccup whispered, reaching under his body, his hand wrapping around the thick erection. He had to push up on his knees to give himself the adequate height to climb on the dragon’s powerful manhood but when the tip pressed against his entrance, resistance gave away quickly and Toothless slide in as if he was made to be there.   
  
He probably was.   
  
Head falling back, Hiccup exhaled sharply, trying to collect his thoughts. He needed to feel the dragon, not just in him but with him. An irrational part of his mind had to be close enough with the dragon, to smell his mate, to touch his mate – to feel his mate. He needed to know that there wasn’t someone else out there. There was no one else in Hadak, Berk, or the North that could obtain that look of delight on the fearsome beast’s face.    
  
Toothless was his. Not those birthing dragons’ or the Queen’s. He belonged in this room, with his pregnant mate, to have and to hold.    
  
His knees buckled under him as he rode his lover. The tip of the dragon’s erection pressed just right into that spot that made the human see stars while making him cry out for more. _Mate with me_ ! He couldn’t breathe; his body was moving on autopilot, enjoying the control he had over the dragon. Under his bottom he could feel the swelling of his mate’s penis, could see the agony of his lover who had a need to rut and breed his already pregnant mate.  _Then breed with me_ .   
  
The words caught in Hiccup’s throat as his butt swallowed the thick section of Toothless’ cock. His hips stopped moving, unable to pull away while Toothless let out a mighty roar, trying to spread his folded wings. “ _Mine! Mine!_ ”   
  
Grinding down, Hiccup pressed his hands on the dragon’s chest, kneading the flood over his insides. The feeling was so overpowering, he came hard, the first he’d noticed of so many. His belly fluttered, filling up, his egg warmed and his dull ache disappeared, only to be replaced by a sharp, noticeable pain. He didn’t mention it, his body slumping on the dragon from tiredness and pain. He didn’t want Toothless to think he’d hurt his mate. He didn’t want this moment to end.   
  
Toothless snuggled warmly around him, staying in that position even as his penis slid free an hour later and the snow began to flow inside their room. For now, this was all they needed.   
  
Early the next morning, Hiccup ignored his mate when the dragon left their room to start the journey. He only moved to watch the cluster of dragons fly off to the North from his window, feeling nervous about the next few months as his belly ached dully.


	8. Chapter 8

Like most members of Hadak Society, the only set meal of the day during the winter months brought Gronky's life to a standstill. Hiccup found him in the meal hall, settled in the left-most corner where citizens would not bother him. Having lived in Toothless' shadow for what felt like forever, Hiccup found him without trouble. Settling his things on the opposite side of the leader, the human used his long fingers to shred his cooked fish while gauging Gronky.

The dragon seemed more tired than Hiccup did these days. His scales were losing their shade, becoming a pale yellow with age. There had been talk in the lower lands that their leader was in his final stretch but the human didn't believe it so until he really got a good glance at the Gronckle. Y'Von had more color than Hadak's leader these days.

Gronky beat him to the questions. "Are you fine?"

"Of course I am." Hiccup took a huge bite of his fish. His cramps had been unbearable that week but his complaints had been stifled. No reason to scare Toothless, so far away as he was now.

"Allow me to check you after Main Meal. I do not know much about human physiology but your color is very red, perhaps feverish." Gronky's eyes returned to his dish, a sense of finality in his voice. Hiccup swallowed but nodded. "Now Little One would not seek me out unless he was after something?"

Hiccup nodded. "My research." He patted his book, already bulging with information. "Tell me about the Queen."

"There is much to say about the Queen. Be more specific, please."

"What kind of dragon is she?"

Gronky made a low noise, a word that was indecipherable. "There is no word that I know in your tongue. She has never entered human lands, these days she doesn't get very far. She controls with an iron fist and our instincts make us follow." His eyes seemed to glaze over in thought. "North is…very different from Hadak. Instinct runs supreme in their culture. The human-side, so embraced here, is suppressed." Gronky raised a lone claw, summoning a dragon over to request a small portion of fish which he set in front of Hiccup. "You've lost weight, little one. Please eat more."

Not really hungry but knowing he wasn't going to get away without eating the cooked fish, Hiccup chewed on the crisp ends. "Don't any of the inhabitants question her control?"

"We are like fish, we follow what comes natural to us, obey the one who is stronger. Even those who embrace our human likeness are prone to this instinctual need to follow the one above us. I do not control with an iron fist but should I command it, so it shall be done. I don't follow that way, as our Queen does. I hope through my teachings, my heir will learn the same. Respect and fear are very separate concepts that are often confused. I want my people to respect me, not fear me. I want them to respect the next person in line even though we're inclined to follow their word."

"Does that respect not carry over?"

"If the Queen were here and ordered me to bring her your head, I would do it because it's so she demands." Gronky folded his hands, the nail's clipping into soften scales. "Any person in Hadak would do the same if she demanded it."

"Even Toothless?" Hiccup addressed his overall fear. It had been plaguing him since that night: how Toothless was originally supposed to come to power as the Queen's voice, he was supposed to be Second not Third.

Gronky's smile was forced, filled with deceit. "Never your mate. He's always been so strong willed. He holds his mating and you in high regard, more than even my word." The aged dragon nudged the cup of water over. Hiccup accepted it, drowning his last bite of fish with the freshest water he'd ever had. "Did I ever tell you about Njáll's challenge to my throne?"

Hiccup settled his cup down. "No."

"I'm sure you've heard that he's still relatively new here in Hadak."

"Yes, from Y'Von."

The Gronckle chuckled. "Oh yes. It goes back to the Queen and me and Hadak. I told you once that my heir isn't my child. We are based off of who is strongest. Well, twenty summers ago an egocentric Night Fury showed up in Hadak and demanded a challenge for my throne. I'll never admit this to your stupid mate but I was scared. He secretes power but without proving himself I won't listen like a docile rabbit. I had to think fast. 'Fight my heir,' I told him, 'Only then will I bother with you.'" Gronky looked away. "I was hoping to wear him out. I'm, uh, sure you know that's easier said than done."

The lewd glance wasn't noticed as Hiccup ducked into his hands. "I wouldn't know what you're talking about," he squeaked out.

Gronky shook his head. "Anyway, he fought my heir at the time – the Nadder you like to call Astrid." Hiccup blushed with the realization that others knew his names for them. "He agreed to my terms and he and Mimae fought near the left tower. My heir barely lasted against him before he claimed victory. I started to get really nervous about the land I had inherited. 'No games; fight me like a real dragon.' So I stepped out onto the floor, never changed. Told him he was in my lands and he would fight me like a human. He looked like he wanted to refuse me but couldn't, his instinct wouldn't allow him to deny my request. That was the first time he'd ever taken our form and that worked in my favor: it hurts and slowed him down. I knew I still didn't stand a chance."

"Then how did you beat him?"

Gronky looked around before leaning forward as if he had a great secret. "I'm a physician. It's been a long time since I worked with Night Furies since they're so loyal to the Queen but there's this bundle of nerves three vertebras above the tail. If you can get behind him long enough, claw that spot and he becomes mush on the ground. I won fair and square using my work and skill." Gronky leaned back. "Because if I had to fight him like a dragon, he'd of taken over my lands. After defeating my heir but losing to me, Njáll became my heir. I immediately wanted my second to come to my side, to stand for everything I have fought for. The Queen cannot last forever; this leaves me, Njáll, and Mimae. Njáll is the youngest; he must survive to bring our people into the new era."

"Must have worked if he wanted to mate with a human." Hiccup smiled.

"That was rather a surprise. I had been sending him to Berk every day for three years when he finally came back with word of a mate," Gronky smiled. "Now, allow me to check the baby."

Hiccup smiled. "I'll come in later. I need to run and check on some clients." Hiccup bundled up his books. "That spot – what does it do? Hurt him?"

"Stuns." There was a twinkle in Gronky's eye.

Hiccup's grin widened before leaving the room making a beeline to his and Toothless' chambers. Without his dragon taking up a lot of space, Hiccup had moved most of his materials up to this space, pieces of wood and leather, tools, and the like. There had been a warm fire set up by one of the dragons on his request and he was using a thick oil to keep it lit throughout the day. It was feeling more like his home than anything else.

Stumbling to his workstation, Hiccup dropped his research papers on the stone desk carved by eager Terrors as thanks for his last commission, a wing replacement to help an injured family member glide from the north walls to the south. Before he'd left, Toothless had left some of his materials there but unlike Hiccup's; the items didn't take much space. In fact, it appeared his mate was getting back into his doll making, creating toys for their little one. Near replicas of the dolls given to him on his tenth birthday.

He couldn't help but think about what Gronky had said. There was no question that twenty years ago, Toothless despised humans. It did seem like a big step in three years to go from hating humans to leaving a mating mark on one. Rubbing the mark, flamed red from their last tryst, Hiccup fought hard to remember that day. He sometimes went back to it, his childish rage and misunderstanding.

No, Toothless  _had_ attacked him that day. He'd been angry and very-dragon for a few minutes. Hiccup had been afraid for his life and then there was the whole fish-trading thing. Maybe he'd made Toothless see something different in one human. Hiccup played with the charcoal end of his pencil, his eyes focused on the drawings now hanging on the walls.

He wasn't like the others and Toothless had seen how the other humans responded. Maybe Hiccup was just an exception to the rule? An honorary dragon?

Hand falling to his belly, Hiccup frowned. No, that wouldn't be right. Toothless would tolerate Hiccup then, not mate and breed with the boy. Their child was going to be human and if it was really inclined in their nature now to kill the dragons, then his child might have the same thought floating in its veins. "But you won't." Hiccup whispered. "You're a good baby."

The Gods were watching over his child. They would bring the little one to life and then would protect him to adulthood. No red clouds would come and swallow his family whole (a recurring dream, especially without Toothless present) while he only watched in horror. He had to remind himself constantly that he was safe here, Gronky was watching him. Toothless would protect him, from the queen or otherwise. Toothless, no matter what was in his cards, was more human than dragon these days.

"Mmn." Hiccup winced as his belly ached. Counting back, he gripped the table and waited for the pain to subside. When it did, he used the chamber pot in his room. Another spike of pain went through his body shortly after. He forced himself to steady his feet, making it towards his bed but stopped not even a foot away, his eyes wide as his lower back arched, forcing him to curl into himself. It wasn't going away this time.

"'Elp…" He called, barely above a whisper. His arms wrapped around his belly as his fever, persistent since the beginning, spiked. Vision blurred, Hiccup let the ground come to him, settling his weight on his legs as he took shallow breaths.  _Gronky, I need to get to Gronky._ "Help!" He cried out, hoping one of the few guards still awake would hear him.  _Call for Toothless._ Labored breathing followed his next yell and it took all his energy to even drag his body to the door.

_Toothless…help…the baby…_

As the door opened, his vision faded into darkness, his ears only picking up his own voice. "Please…help…my baby…"

* * *

The first thing Hiccup saw when he woke up was the familiar wooden ceiling of his and Toothless' room. It was rather bland now that he thought about it but there wasn't much he could do to change that except pretend the wooden fractured and cracked, dancing around each line.

Gronky's head on his belly was the second thing he noticed. Twisting his head, Hiccup watched the dragon at work. Normally such quirky ears like on a Gronckle would make him laugh but today all he could see was the necessity of all this. "Howz the baby?" He croaked the question.

Pushing back, Gronky settled in his seat. He looked tired. Judging by the moon high in the sky, he'd been with Hiccup since his collapse, but how long ago that was, the human wasn't sure. Not long enough since Toothless was nowhere to be seen. "It's fine. Moving around nicely." The dragon settled back, licking his fangs tenderly. "I asked you before if you were all right. How long have you been in pain?"

Hiccup turned away.

"Child."

The voice was laced with regality. Something in Hiccup clicked into place – the feeling of instinct to follow the one stronger than him.  _Maybe we're not all that different after all._ "Since before Toothless left. I thought it would go away but it only got worse."  _And today it finally won_ "Do you know what happened?"

Gronky nodded, climbing out of his seat. He walked over to the desk where sweet smelling herbs were placed out. Hiccup watched with curiosity as the healing dragon created a potion in seconds, bringing the thick, sweet smelling concoction over. "Drink this." Hiccup did just that. "It appears a week ago, your eggs started hatching. Since then, your body has been trying to expel the egg shells while protecting the unborn. These shells were tearing up your insides."

Hiccup rubbed his belly, scared. There was twinge of pain, a familiar one. "What do I need to do?"

"Just keep drinking that potion. It'll liquefy the eggs and your body will dispose of them properly." Gronky settled in his chair again as Hiccup played with his belly. "The baby is all right. I can hear his or her heartbeat when I lay my ear against your belly. It pulses very fast. That means it's really happy." His smile was full of teeth and it made Hiccup smile. "And no, Toothless hasn't come back yet. We have sent word of your situation to him."

"I called out to him when I fell unconscious." Hiccup supplied.

"Well at least you told someone of your situation." Gronky clicked his claws. "I'll have a nursemaid in here overnight to keep your temperature down. If you feel the urge, let the nursemaid know. I don't want you attempting to walk on your own until the egg shells have all liquefied." Running a sharp claw through Hiccup's hair, the dragon smirked before taking his leave.

Alone, Hiccup settled back, watching the clouds from the north move in with promise of snow. The Nadder nursemaid did come in as promised but Hiccup paid her no mind, his fingers playing on his belly, now squishy instead of firm. Under his fingertips he imagined movement, the development of wings or claws. His belly, being shredded by eggs. How much damage had his little one been put through because Hiccup refused to go seek help a week before.

Head draped over pillows, Hiccup accepted more water from the nursemaid.  _Our baby's safe._ He tried to speak to Toothless, to send a feeling of reassurance through the bond he'd only tapped into once.  _The gods are watching our young_.

At some point, he'd fallen asleep, waking long enough to make a noise about needing the chamber pot  _now_ which the Nadder brought over and helped him use. When the rush of egg and waste left him feeling empty, he requested some food be brought forward. The thick stew warmed his belly and lured him to sleep again until by the third day, the day that Toothless was supposed to come home.

With permission to leave bed, Hiccup made his way to the showers. His fever had broken the night, leaving its evidence drenched through clothes from the day he collapsed. As he left, terrors rushed into his den to clean the stench of sick from the room and Hiccup could only smile his thanks towards them before disappearing into the baths.

For the first time in days, the public baths were filled with other dragons, The only basin open enough to fit him was the one furthest in back, currently used by a Gronckle still in its dragon form. The fat lizard had been snoozing in the shallow end, heating the water around him when Hiccup approached, naked as the day he was born. Tilting his head to the side, Hiccup made a low noise in request. The Gronckle growled, shifting to the deeper end where he used his tiny wings to pull his heavy body out of the water.

"You don't have to leave." Hiccup whispered to its fleeing form.

A few dragons stared at the fleeing friend. A few gold eyes turned back towards Hiccup, who shivered under the scrutiny before climbing in the bath. Moaning, the human submerged himself under the heated water.

" _Is he from the Nest?_ " Hiccup's eyes snapped open. He couldn't pinpoint which dragon had said that but it gathered his attention quickly. Apparently conversations were looping back that one comment.

" _I guess. He came in with the hunting group that was meeting with the King._ "

" _Any sign of Lord Njáll?_ " A hushed whisper. " _Oh the poor child. What's the King going to do?_ "

Dipping under the water at the gazes now on him, Hiccup scrubbed his scalp, getting the smell of sick off him. He focused fast on his anal opening, clearing any mess from his cleansing out before climbing out of the baths. Still dripping, he left the room, moving fast back to his room just as Terrors moved past him, giving his body a wide glance. There had been a towel for him but it had been abandoned in his flight.

Drying off with a spare blanket, Hiccup tugged his spare clothes on before rushing out of his room, on a mission. He had to know what was going on. There was a mass of dragons in their original form near the audience chamber. Each one stepped back, growling at him but Hiccup ignored them. Astrid – no,  _Mimae_ \- stepped out of the audience chamber, a hiss of her own that shut up the visiting dragons before she laced her arm with Hiccup's.

" _You must return to your room_." She pulled him away from the audience chambers, now being filled by the visiting dragons.

"What's happening? I heard a hunting group came in this morning. Where's Toothless?" Hiccup looked around, eagerly hunting for the familiar midnight coloring of his mate. The Third heir didn't say a word, her fingers tight on the human's arm. The small noise of pain didn't loosen her grip and Hiccup picked up speed, stepping in front of his guide. In his room again, he purposely slammed the door in her face, storming towards the window.

The winter snow was thick yesterday, the clouds finally parting to allow some warm sun shine down on them. This change in weather did little to stir the occupants of Hadak from their sleep but the awake ones were fluttering in the sky for the first time, each one moving from post to post on a mission.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed, familiar with the defensive protection that Vikings in Berk usually took if warning of an attack made it to the land before the dragons did.

"What in the world…?" He touched his belly. This was far too much. If discarded egg didn't kill his baby, all this stress would.

From the North, a wide girth of dragon flew towards Hadak. Hiccup's heart began to pound but he exhale sharply. Not the Queen, he realized when he saw the giant Nightmare entering Hadak territory. A few of their bravest warriors meet the towering beast, nipping and blowing fire as warning. One of the dragons that had come up to meet the visitor, Hiccup realized, was Y'Von. Her presence only made the huge dragon look larger than he really was.

She stared into his eyes, talking in low tones. Hiccup wished that he could stand there next to her to know what was happening. If he didn't know better, he would say it was Toothless related.

"Child."

Jumping out of his skin, Hiccup turned. Gronky stood at the door, his hands tight on his cane. "What's going on out there?"

"A hunting crew came in and demanded our human. We have none to give but they won't hear us out. There's been a lot of tension since late last night when the first word from the North came in." Gronky exhaled sharply, a puff of smoke escaping his snout. "The Queen has heard rumors that we were housing a human, which she overlooked. Apparently Njáll sent word that he was planning on eating the human a few months ago, was fattening you up for a good meal."

Hiccup blinked.

The king shook his head. "It was a ploy as far as I know. There's no question of Njáll's love for you and…"

"A few months ago," Hiccup whispered, "I was in Old Berk with Toothless and these…Nadders came around. He might have said something then to keep them away from me but…I don't know."

"Well she overlooked your existence because she respects Njáll's whishes, no matter how odd they may be. One human would never fill him but if it makes him happy she'll give him whatever he wants. Until word spreads that the human is actually his mate. Apparently one of my people let it slip near the Queen. Njáll's been subdued for questioning but the hunting party came to bring you back."

Hiccup swallowed. "Toothless won't allow her to hurt me."

Gronky looked like he wanted to agree with Hiccup- that he wanted to back up all he said only a few days before. "If she were to order it…"

"T, Toothless would never hurt me!" Hiccup cried out.

"You're right," said the King, raising his claws defensively. "He wouldn't want to hurt you but if something were to happen he'd never forgive me if I let it. Pack up some things."

Hiccup turned back towards the window, at the Nightmare who'd come for him. His heart stopped when it swiped at Y'Von, sending her flying over the edge of Hadak. A few dragons flew after her. His heart was pounding as he watched the Nightmare push past the guards, entering the first branch of palace. The reality of the situation was hitting him. Y'Von was innocent. Those guards were innocent. This was about him.

"We only want you to be safe. You're one of us." Gronky's voice was steep. "Mimae will take you back to Berk. When things die down we'll bring you back." Gronky took Hiccup's hand. "This should all be over by the time the baby is ready to be born. You'll have it here, safe with Njáll. The Queen is just hungry and annoyed, they didn't stock food as well as she had hoped for. Believe me."

"Toothless will come back for me, won't he?" Hiccup whispered.

The door to his chamber pushed open, Mimae peeking a nervous eye in. She nodded towards Hiccup, who moved towards her cautiously.

"Toothless  _will_ come back for me, won't he?" He repeated.

"Bring him back to Berk, Mimae."

Hiccup swallowed, letting himself be led out of his door and through narrow paths of less traveled corridors until they escaped from the gardens. With Mimae, he fled into the cold winter day as smoke bellowed from the tower where his and Toothless' room had resided.

No words needed to be exchanged as he was left near the cove where he first disappeared that summer, now pregnant with child and worried about the current state of his mate-ship.


	9. Chapter 9

A scouting party found him in the morning, huddled for warmth on the cove while watching the morning skies for signs of life. Snotlout was the first to notice him, tossing his messy head back. He'd lost some weight and earned a beard since Hiccup had last seen him. That wasn't the only biggest change. His finger had a silver band near the knuckle, the first sign of his own married life.

It seemed a lot had changed since he left, Hiccup realized, lowering his gaze to the snow caking his wet boots. He'd lost feeling in his limbs hours ago but it had yet to register in his equally numb brain. He'd spent the better part of the night trying to call out for Toothless but it was proving ineffective.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout rushed down the rocky hill, slipping down the last few feet of ridge. He hit the ground with a running start, moving across the cove. His big hands grasped at Hiccup, pulling him into a hug that had never occurred in either of their short lives. "Shit, man! We thought you were dead! Uncle's been mounting attacks against the dragon nest since summer." Pulling back, the messy haired brunette looked over his cousin, taking in everything. Hiccup smiled. He certainly was something these days.

His short brown hair had lengthened close to his shoulders but had been well maintained with combs of intricate design. After his bath the day before, he had taken some time to pull it back in a short ponytail with his favorite comb fitted in. Four months pregnant, nearing his fifth, his stomach had shrunk with the loss of its egg but still protruded the size of a small rabbit. There was also the faint glow again replacing the heated red from his infectious fever.

Snotlout's attention was focused on one thing particular: his hair. Long hair wasn't uncommon in their culture but not pulled back. Hair pulled back like Hiccups was starting to look was only done by one group: women. To be more precise – a married woman. "What did they do to you?"

Hiccup thanked the scout who placed a heavy fur blanket over his shoulders. "I wish to see my father."

"The first place you're going is to the healer. Stand up." Snotlout placed his weight under Hiccup's arms, steadying the boy to his feet. As a single unit, the group moved back through the woods, still keeping an eye for any game that was still awake. His cousin was talking amiably about how things had been in Berk since Hiccup's disappearance. Apparently it was two days away from Jul so his reappearance had been listed as a gift from the gods for Yule.

The wide gates had been rebuilt after the last dragon attack, two days before Hiccup's disappearance. Since then, thing had been quiet in Berk and the first rumors to fly were of Hiccup's disappearance linked the attacks. "If we had known we just needed a sacrifice to stop the dragons, people joked that we would have given them you much sooner." Snotlout looked away with some shame, perhaps being part of that rumor himself. "Your father put a stop to that quickly. You missed your funeral, by the way."

"I'll try to be there next time." Hiccup rubbed his belly.

Snotlout stared at his belly but he didn't voice his obvious opinion. To the human eye, it looked like the dragons hadn't feasted  _yet_. They'd probably taken the months between his abduction and now to fatten the human up. He wouldn't think there was a baby in there and Hiccup didn't want to tell him. Not yet. He had to make sure he and his child were safe. He had to beg his father to take him back to Hadak.

The healer lived in a small hut in the center of town. She made home visits throughout the year, mostly acting as the main midwife. Some days she fixed injured Vikings up while others she cured diseases. Hiccup had seen her often enough growing up, being prone to accidents. With Snotlout's help, Hiccup was settled onto a long bench while the healer was summoned. Another scout had run off earlier to find their leader, only giving a passing glance at the brunette staring off into the distance.

"Son!"

Hiccup shifted. "Dad…" He forced a small, reassuring smile.

"Those beasts… I had thought…" Stoick fell to his knees in front of his son, winding his arms around the smaller frame. Hiccup tensed, ready to bite if his father's strength pulled through. It didn't. There was just the conveyance of fear. "Are you safe?" He ran a big hand over Hiccup's head, breaking the binding holding the teen's hair back.

"They treated me good." Hiccup met his father's eyes. "We need to talk dad."

"You should be checked over first and then…tell us everything." Stoick stepped back. Hiccup watched his father turn to the hunting group, speaking with them in low volumes to have an idea of what happened. His own misconceptions to come into a verbal argument that had began arising when Hiccup was ten, no longer seeing his father as the hero his village saw.

The healer approached him after, checking his neck and counting his ribs. Nothing broken or missing, she voiced out loud which the conclusion that the dragons were starting to eat Hiccup but their leader's son had escaped before they could do serious damage. Her eyes, however, stopped at his belly but he saw the different conclusion in her eyes.

"Is everything all right Madie?" Stoick pushed forward, knocking the crowds out of his way. "Hiccup?"

"I just want to speak with my father." Hiccup repeated, his voice hollow.

"Stoick, I believe—"

Something snapped inside him. First that stupid Gronckle in the shower, then Mimae, then Gronky, and Toothless… No one ever listened to him! "I want to talk to my father alone! Order it, dad!" He winced as his insides churned, the last of the medicine still working through his body. Stoick sighed, raising his hand, making the request an order. The room cleared out but none left far enough. He could still see Snotlout on the other side of the glass panel.

Sitting on a lone wooden rocker, often used by new mothers seeking postpartum help, Stoick sighed. "Tell me what happened, Hiccup."

"I'm pregnant, dad. With Toothless' baby." Hiccup settled his hands on his belly. A happy smile fell on his face, the first in some time. His father's smile wasn't there and Hiccup's own faded into uncertainty. "There's two nest of dragons, Hadak and North. I was in Hadak and—"

"You know where the nests are?" Stoick was out of his chair, holding his son again. "I will avenge you, son."

"I don't need vengeance! I need you to listen!"

Stoick shook his head, copper hair whipping back. "You don't need to defend them, Hiccup. You're safe now." His eyes fell on his son's belly, snug in a heavy winter shirt. "A, are you sure? I know I don't credit it often but, son…you're a boy."

Pulling his necklace out, the stone glowing brightly, Hiccup nodded. "Magic. I'm pregnant with Toothless' baby dad. You need to listen, North is—No! Let me go!" Hiccup pushed at his father, trying to keep the big hands away from his necklace, the only thing keeping his baby from being destroyed by his body. "Stop!" The pregnant male dropped to the ground, necklace still protectively around his neck. Glaring up at his father, Hiccup made a warning noise he'd learned from those in Hadak. His father stepped back.  _Good._

"Do you not hear yourself, boy? They've filled your mind with lies."

"No. I've seen the truth." Hiccup swallowed. "Dad, you need to listen to me. There's more to the dragons than thieves and killers. They're not just reptiles. They're almost human!"

Stoick stepped back. "I'm getting the healer that Night Fury hit you over the head."

"Listen to me dad! That Night Fury is your son-in-law! He's my mate – my husband. The father of my baby."

"Hiccup."

"Dad."

The rocker was thrown, breaking on impact with the wall. Panting, Stoick turned back towards his son. "Okay. You're pregnant. We can handle this with some pennyroyal solution. I'll fetch the healer to get some now."

"No!" Hiccup wrapped his arms around his belly protectively. His knowledge of the herb was limited to the senseless jokes by his own gender. Pennyroyal was a highly toxic plant used by women to abort pregnancies. "I won't get rid of my baby. You won't have to worry long. Toothless, my  _dragon_ mate, will come back for me and the baby and you won't have to worry about your stupid reputation among the warriors."

"Hiccup…"

"And you won't have to see me either!" Hiccup pushed himself off the bench, storming into the back room. He never wished more for a lock but his father had always respected his desires to be alone in the past. Settling on the surgical station, Hiccup stared at the intricate devices hanging leisurely from the ceiling. There was a warm feeling in his gut; his baby was probably warming itself while the sturdy magic protected the mother.

He could hear his father settling next to the other door before he heard the man's soft voice, asking Hiccup's long dead mother for help. "I tried so hard to give you everything. I was accused of overlooking your slack and took the criticism in stride. 'Give him time,' I told the council and Elders 'he'll grow into his Viking body.' I kept trying to make you a warrior but it didn't work. The dragons… I can never forgive myself for what they've done. I told myself that if I were only fast. If I were only a better father and let you do what you wanted you wouldn't have run off to the cove that day. You would have been safely away at Gobber's doing what you loved instead out there where that devil could attack you."

Hiccup turned his back, staring at the wall.

"They wouldn't have raped you…"

"No!" Hiccup jumped out of the bed, pulling the door open. "It was diplomatic." Originally. "I agreed to be courted to protect Berk. I stayed because there was something hidden in both dragon and human histories I had to learn. Staying with Toothless was the only way I could stay in Berk. Some point during our courtship I really fell in love with Toothless. I agreed to carry his babies, to love and protect them. I want my baby to be the first step to the Old Age, where dragons and humans co-exist." He stared down at his father. " _We_ will co-exist once more."

His father's eyes darkened but he only shook his head. "Believe what you will. I'll send the healer in." His father was standing at the door when his voice echoed solemnly. "What those dragons told you will never be so. If there ever was an  _Us_ , it's not there anymore and one birth isn't going to change anything. You need to wake up from this dream and realize that you're not in their nest, for some reason you're back in Berk. If this is change, it seems awfully wrong to leave a pregnant man with a child who may never be accepted. Madie!" He threw open the door, allowing the heavy set woman in.

Watching his father go, Hiccup swallowed hard. His father just didn't understand the things he'd seen.

A week later, he was again living at his father's house, up in his little room filled with relics of his life before mating. Often, he would find himself settled on his small bed, holding the dolls Toothless had made for him while imagining a life in Hadak with his mate.

There had yet to be word about the situation at the nest. In fact, he had yet to see a little Terror scuttle through the house like the annoying rats they tended to be. The skies were bare of life and the lakes filled with fish. A good year, Snotlout had explained when Hiccup had followed him and the scouts out earlier to find the last game of the season, to celebrate the Yule festival. The dragon attacks were drying up and search parties toward the North hadn't seen a tail of the creatures since Hiccup's reappearance. Even their captured ones seemed more subdued, as if agreeing the humans had won their lifelong battle.

When he wasn't in his room, hiding from the scrutiny about his belly or the speculation of what the dragons had done to him, he was seeking out companionship with the group he went to dragon camp with way back when. Each group had changed since the early summer. Snotlout was married with the baker's daughter. If he wasn't in the scouting party, he was deep within Berk still training for a dragon attack that was becoming more unlikely with each passing day.

The girl he used to dream about had become a proudly married woman to the finest of Berk Warriors. Astrid had greeted him with finesse but didn't offer more than a small smile as she took her husband's bulging arm and led him off to look at the swords on display at Gobber's shop. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had been similar, so busy with their own lives they barely gave him a passing smile on their way to work. Ruffnut was working her way toward marriage, which was planned in late spring to a fisherman. Her brother was working as a guard for the dragon cages but his paranoia about Hiccup had made him dismiss the boy when his sister wasn't around.

"You're just going to release their cages! That's what you do now isn't it? Are you one of them or one of us?"

Hiccup grumbled, stepping back to join his best friend Fishlegs, who stuck out his own tongue. He was the only man of their old cohort who'd taken the time since the brunette's reappearance to check in and make sure Hiccup was really okay.

"He wouldn't say those things if we knew what happened."

"Nothing happened." He wanted to tell the people everything but his father had laid down the law. He wouldn't slip pennyroyal into Hiccup's food and Hiccup wouldn't talk about the child he was birthing from the enemy. It was like an attack against his father. Stoick had taken the life of so many dragons; it only seemed like retaliation on their part to take his son in this way. "Hey, I'm going to check in on Gobber. If you see my dad…"

Fishlegs looked sick along the gills. He'd been doing that look a lot recently since Hiccup had regrown his old habits of doing exactly what his father had told him not to do. "O, Okay. I'm going to the market though." He waved a big hand absently, disappearing to find his marketplace shop and check in on his wares.

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup turned into Gobber's shop, the snow melted a good foot or so away from the shop entrance. The man he sought was already there, hammering metal armor with his good hand, working his jaw and a fake tooth in thought. "Gobber?" Hiccup leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling very small.

"You know you're not supposed to be here, Hiccup." Gobber twisted around, grabbing his tongs. Hiccup stepped into the smithy, taking in the environment he'd grown in. His little smithy in Hadak hardly looked lived in when compared to his master's workshop. It was something to aspire toward. "It's nice to see you again, though. You've… put on some weight. It looks good." Gobber nodded towards Hiccup's stomach. "I guess your stay at the Nest wasn't as bad as people are making it out to be."

Hiccup settled into the chair in the corner. "They weren't fattening me up to eat me." The words had become a weapon for him. He wasn't allowed to talk about his pregnancy but it didn't stop him from fighting off the hurtful words about his new friends and family. "I want to work again, Gobber. Dad…doesn't have to know if you don't tell him."

Gobber rubbed a big down his face. "You know I can't. Your father was very firm in the fact that you weren't supposed to work until you're 'better' – whatever that means!" He took a deep breath, dropping his arms to his side. "I want nothing more than to hire you back. You knew your way around the hammer but I promised your father and he-it wasn't a command from a friend. He's serious about me hiring you back until you've come to your senses."

In other words, either Hiccup aborted the baby or he brought it to term and gave the so-called demon back to its own kind.

"I think you'd be more right in the head if you could be treated like a member of society and not some visitor but I've been told I haven't had a clear noggin in some years." He rubbed his scalp. Hiccup smiled, knowing the look slowly taking over Gobber's face. There were so many conflicting stances in that man. The one that loved Hiccup like a son was winning out. "There are some loose bars in the dragon cages at the ring. I'd go myself but those buggers aren't too keen at me being near them. Maybe you'll have better luck? Speak some sense to them or something?"

"But my father's rule," Hiccup chimed automatically.

"You're a young man. You need to earn your worth or the backlash will come. Grab some materials and go work on that. Maybe when you're done you can come help me clean up the smithy. I misplaced a hammer shortly after your disappearance. It's my favorite." He lifted up a stack of papers, looking under the pile expectantly. Hiccup smiled sheepishly, knowing said hammer was currently on his workstation in the ruins of Old Berk.

Rushing through the shop, Hiccup found his old apprentice bag in a cupboard where Gobber kept his keepsakes. It made his heart swell but he didn't voice it, not wanting to call one of his best friend's out on being sentimental. "I'll get straight on it, sir!"

"And if your father asks, you stole that from me!" Gobber called after him. Hiccup waved back.

Getting past Tuffnut wasn't easy. The blond had huffed in annoyance when he saw that Hiccup did actually have his repair bag. His only other option was to let the dragons break out of their cage and that wouldn't be good. With a firm pat on Hiccup's shoulder, he pushed the smaller teen into the low corridor leading to the dragons. The sense of privilege was overwhelming for Hiccup. In the past he would have never been allowed past the door. Only the authorized were even allowed to feed the dragons due to the threat level.

If his father knew…

The cages were full-length, at least a head above a towering Nightmare. The walls had been burnt with escape attempts and there was caked blood in some locations. Each dragon had a single cage inside the big cage but those had long been chiseled off, allowing each individual free-reign in the main cage. Rumor was that during Dragon Camp Training, a warrior usually wrangled one out. Hiccup wouldn't be surprised if that was true.

Inside, there were six Terrors, two Gronckles, three Nadders, a Nightmare, and a Zippleback, all in their dragon forms. None noticed his approach as he pressed himself against the wall, not sure what to take of their choice of form. It was to be expected of course, the Vikings wouldn't take to well for their enemies to look slightly similar but for Hiccup, these dragon-forms meant North – the people who had taken his Toothless.

" _-And his hair caught fire!_ " One of the Nadders cried out. One of the Zippleback's heads hit the ground while the other one cried out with heavy laughter. " _I'm not lying! Sven was there! Sven!_ " The Nadder rushed to the Nightmare in the corner who was washing his toe claws, wiggling the long appendages. " _Tell them about the last training session!_ "

The Nightmare – Sven – kicked the Nadder away. " _We were all there, stupid._ " He rolled his eyes before freezing. Cold red orbs turned, falling on Hiccup. He growled lowly and the other dragons reeled back, falling into one another in preparation to attack. " _A human!_ "

Hiccup swallowed. Every lesson taught to him in Berk came back in full force. Head high, he puffed his chest out and stepped towards the bars. "I'm not here to harm you, I'm—"

" _Lies, all humans are liars!_ " The Nadder who'd been telling jokes shouted.

Hiccup swallowed. "And some dragons are liars. Are you from North?" He tilted his head. His voice had risen just right, accusing not all dragons but those from the North specifically. He watched as half of the dragons – two terrors, a Gronckle, and one Nadder – pulled back. Those from the North decided, Hiccup returned his glance at Sevn. The Nightmare's red eyes had lightened some but a sense of power was still there.

" _I do not know what to make of you._ " The Nightmare stood on his back legs, his wings steadily to the side of him. Hiccup chewed on the inside of his cheek. " _You smell of child but I see no egg. I smell a mate but I see no other dragon. Are you North or Hadak?_ " The question seemed so novel to Hiccup, as if he was finally  _part_ of the politics and not just one of their spectators.

"Hadak."

The Nightmare nodded. " _And how is old Gronky?_ " He asked with an old rumble.

Hiccup smiled. "Last I saw, he was fine. Rather secretive but all right. You…knew him personally?"

Sven was about to speak when one of the Nadders from the North rushed forward, banging on the cage. " _If you understand us so damn well, then let us out!_ " He pushed again, his shoulder locking between the bars. With a cry, it tried pulling away, the scales starting to bleed. Hiccup dropped his tools and rushed forward, helping the creature out.

" _That's enough, Haĝat._ " One of the Zippleback's heads chimed. The other one rolled its eyes in annoyance but set agreement. " _I still don't trust this human. Some sniveling Terrors mistake and now he's one of us?_ " It shot a puff of putrid gas towards Hiccup who stepped back instinctively, worried what such a concoction would do to his still developing baby. " _What is your mate? A Gronckle? Some low water collector?_ " Each step came closer until he was face to face with Hiccup, this time more mindful of his gas-breath.

All of the dragons stared expectantly at him. Each one considering Hiccup, the Hadak dragons in one corner, the North in the other. "Toothless is my mate." Blank stares greeted him. "Njáll." He tried again. This time, he was met with surprised looks from both groups.

" _Prince Njáll?_?" Inquired a Terror from North. " _Why would he ever associate himself with a human?_ "

" _I told you he was an understudy to that old pig, Svanto!_ " Another terror pushed him.

The last Terror brave enough to step forward was slightly taller than the two with scars on its aged scales. " _Mim, Svanto! Hush!_ " It's beady eyes stared into Hiccup's soul. " _It has been a long time since any of us have been in either Hadak or North. None of us have the right to stand either ground. Who does Prince Njáll stand for these days?_ " His words were smooth and elegant and some of them were hard to translate by Hiccup's ear.

An argument broke out amongst all the dragons, Hadak versus North. The good times that Hiccup had walked in on dissipated into a figment of his own imagination.

"Why does there have to be sides?"

The fight continued with only the heated eyes of Sven on him. " _You did not live with your mate for long._ "

"The North took him. Gronky sent me home because the Queen was demanding me."

" _Is the baby the Prince's?_ "

Hiccup smiled. "Yes."

" _And the humans have allowed its survival?_ "

His smile disappeared as fast as the dragons' relations. "My father has no say."

The Nightmare gave him unbelieving eyes but didn't push the subject. " _I fear there has been much change in our homes since our original capture._ " He took a deep breath, his bleary eyes on Hiccup.

While things could have changed since he left early that summer, the number of dragons in the cage didn't seem greater or less than the original amount. In fact, many of these supposed beasts had been there since the time he went through dragon training. A lot had changed in Hadak in seven years but Toothless had been Gronky's heir for over twenty years (the Night Fury was the ripe old age of seventy, apparently just entering the dragon adulthood).

Each dragon was again talking at once, rekindling their hate for each other. Some were questioning if Toothless (Njáll) was actually working with the human-lovers while others questioned how long those North Hate-Mongers were going to follow their out-of-date Queen. " _They will be friends again, tomorrow._ " The Nightmare chimed. " _When we're reminded of our roots, these arguments break out. In the end, we are neither Hadak nor North._ " His eyes settled on Hiccup's belly. " _It is still so strange to see a submissive without his mate, especially in such a fragile state. Where is Njáll?_ "

And Hiccup leaned against the old wall, his assigned work long forgotten as he told them the current happenings with Hadak and North. "Gronky thought I'd be safer here."

The annoyed Nadder from North snorted, attempting to cross it's small arms, long wings tight against its back. " _Because the humans will know what to do with one of their own baring eggs of our own. Sven,_ " The Nadder paused, " _You should see Sven's daughter._ "

Sven looked bristled by the suggestion, glancing at the beautiful dragon. "Sven's daughter?" Hiccup leaned against the cage. The loose bar slid in its shaft but gave no indication of falling over. If it did, the space would be big enough for the Terrors to fit through if even that.

" _My daughter._ " Sven nodded. " _Perhaps it would be best to speak with her. She may understand what you're going through better than even Gronky._ " He growled, tapping his wings on the wall. " _She's housed in those woods, cresting against the mountains in a small cave that was her mothers and grandfather's._ "

Hiccup froze. He knew where Sven was talking about. It was almost an unspoken rule to leave that cave alone. Stories stated the occupant was a creature from the gods, which wasn't too farfetched to believe since the woman hadn't been very young when Hiccup's _grandfather_ had been born, some eighty-something summers ago.

 _"If she deems you safe, then we will tell you all that you will need to know. Everything you need to know."_  Sven raised a wing, making a firm noise. _"Children."_ With glares, the smaller dragons nestled under the bigger, older dragon's wing, disappearing from sight as It fell over them like a blanket, much like Toothless would do with Hiccup.

"Very well. Allow me to repair your cage first and I will go." Hiccup laid down his intentions but Sven didn't give him a parting glance, the air in the cage heating up as he warmed all the younger dragons. Deep inside Hiccup, his stomach flopped with a need that made him wish he was also welcome under that big wing with the people that felt more like family than the ones outside the cage.

Strange how things had changed so quickly in his life.


	10. Chapter 10

It had taken a day for Hiccup to actually make it near the mountain. His father had strategically placed himself in all facets of his son’s life, watching like a hawk for the first indication that Hiccup was a spy. It appeared Tuffnut had spread word back to the leader of the teen’s current happenings in the cages but his father made no actual comment about knowing.   
  
Dressed in his warmest clothes, ready for the heavy snow apparently coming in, Hiccup stayed near the warm mountain rock while watching the smoke rise from the South, were Berk was nestled against the big, blue ocean. It seemed peaceful from up there but not enough to change the human’s full opinion of the place of late. His love for his home wasn’t drying up but he felt like an unwelcomed visitor than a friend these days.  
  
The cave owned by Sven’s daughter was ominous, with charms chiseled into the rock for protection. There was a wide loom set outside with a half-finished product made of fine wool and Hiccup enviously ran his fingers over the material. There were small things occurring to him these days, for instance his lack of baby things. By now a mother had already started a blanket to keep her newborn warm, perhaps even a piece of clothing to cover its nude fleshed.  
  
Problem was: Hiccup didn’t know how to knit, sew or use a loom. Some submissive mate he was.  
  
“Hello?” Hiccup tilted his body, trying to look small. He didn’t know what to expect from Sven’s daughter. The night before, he tried to picture this dragon but couldn’t. The stories he’d been told as a child spoke of a woman not a dragon but for her to be Sven’s daughter made him wonder what she actually was. He had to be ready for any attack. “Hello? My name’s Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, uh…the Third?” He never used his full title, the words felt so strange to his ears.  
  
A whispering breeze slipped across the wet walls of the cave. Cautiously, he stepped inside, into the darkness.  
  
It took only five big steps for him to slam into a wooden door he hadn’t seen before. Rapping his knuckles over the surface, he stepped back and waited, staring at the intricate designs in the cavern walls. His sharp ears picked the movement of someone (something?) inside the cave before the door pushed open, a tall woman ducked out.   
  
She was unlike anything he’d ever seen, taller than even his father! Red eyes watched him from large almond eyes rimmed with wrinkles suggestive of her old age. Her hair (he subconsciously touched his baby) cascaded down her shoulders into a loose knot at the end, effectively hiding her ears and suggestive deformities similar to a Nightmare’s humanoid form. She was breath-taking though, perhaps beautiful in her youth.   
  
“A human child?” She sniffed the air with her small, button-like nose. “A  _pregnant_ human child? What mockery of the gods is this?”  
  
“Your father sent me.” Hiccup leaned against the frame. “Sven?”  
  
If anything, her eyes seemed to harden. “We have nothing to say.”  
  
“I think we have plenty of things to say.” Hiccup canvassed the area for the third time since entering her domain. There were so many things he wanted to talk about, like the drawings on the walls or the old language wrapped around each drawing telling intricate tales of battle. The big thing, in the small grotto that any person could deem livable, was the loom in the corner creating a vibrant wall art depicting a human and a Night Fury. “Why did you create Toothless – Njáll?” He walked past her, taking the thick fabric into his hands. It was rough against his fingers, a sign of pure dedication to its creation.  
  
The woman frowned. “That is no Njáll. Or a Toothless.”  
  
“Then what is it?” His voice rose, bouncing off the cavern walls like a wayward arrow.  
  
“That,” She closed her red eyes, “Is the Lord Prince to Emperor Draklor, the last registered Night Fury in the human books until my mother’s slaying of one over a hundred summers ago.” She touched the fabric herself, her long nails clipping a loose thread. “This Njáll – is he one of the last Night Furies?”  
  
Hiccup didn’t know but he’d always assumed that. He never saw Toothless’ mother or sire and as far as he knew his mate had never spoken of them. He’d been under the impression that the Queen had raised Toothless from the stories he’d accumulated. “My mate doesn’t discuss that with me.”  
  
The woman tilted her head back, her large almond eyes growing significantly in size. “You’ve met a descendent of the Scorned Emperor?” Her eyes glazed over, looking at the image that stared back at her. “Would you tell me about him?”  
  
“Only if you tell me about these stories.”  
  
“Very well.” The woman nodded. “I am Ragna, daughter of Elder Unn and the hectic Sven.”  
  
“Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, Chief Stoick’s son.”  
  
Ragna held up a long, bony finger. “First thing, if you are truly a dragon’s mate, you should state your mate’s name before your own. My mother was Sven Unn. Did your mate tell you nothing?”  
  
“We’ll I’m kind of figuring this out for myself. Thanks for understanding,” spat the human. He glided up to the wall with ease, running his finger over the deep carvings that had been chiseled with care. “Then I’m Njáll Hiccup.” She nodded with a clearer understanding.  
  
“I mean no fault of your own. Your mate, if he is young, probably doesn’t speak our language. Is your Night Fury young? Does he truly possess the stars in his scales? Will he be coming to Berk in the near future?” She stared at his belly, swallowing for a second. “There’d be no way he doesn’t know of the baby, why is he not here now?”  
  
“That’s what I was hoping you’d tell me. This Nadder in Sven’s cage told me to come to you and your sire agreed – to decide if I was  _safe_.”  
  
The woman dropped into her seat, waving her hand openly for Hiccup to take a free chair. It was tall, leaving his feet dangling midair. “I doubt that is why he sent you to me. In fact, depending on which Nadder said for you to come see me, I may understand their intentions. I’ve…never been accepted by the dragon community. Or the human community. My father was a heretic to his society, when he mated my mother over a hundred summers ago. He petitioned to his Queen to be able to bring my mother and me to live with him.”  
  
“That was a long time ago.”  
  
“It was indeed.” Ragna stared off towards the cave walls. “He was denied to live in North, his original homeland, and moved to Hadak to petition with the king there. My flightless-ness made me a reject in the Hadak community and my mother took me home – without my sire. Do you know why we sought out the dragon community, my mother and I?” Hiccup shook his head. Ragna snorted. “You wouldn’t. The original refuges worked hard to forget their past that my mother protected. Remember who we are, she used to tell me. We should be proud of our dragon ancestry. Do you see this?” She pulled her hair back, revealing her elongated ear flaps. Her red eyes seemed to darken and her claws cut through tough skin. “This is what you’re birthing your child into! I am more dragon than my mother and when those humans down there first saw me, they shunned my mother. She fled Berk for my safety only to find us pushed away  _again_  by the dragons we resembled. There is no home for us.”  
  
Hiccup lowered his gaze, his throat tight.  
  
“This was no test to see if I’d deem you safe. My sire punished himself – allowed the humans to capture him – for bringing me into this hateful world. He wanted you to see what you were doing and decide if this is what you really wanted.”  
  
“That,” Hiccup’s voice wavered, “Was over a hundred summers ago. Times are different now.”  
  
“No they aren’t. Your father came here at the beginning of summer harping about dragons stealing his son on my word.  _You_  tell me that things have changed?” She watched him with narrowed eyes. “This is the life that you are bringing your child into.”  
  
“Hadak accepted me.”  
  
“And the baby?”   
  
“I…” Hiccup frowned. “They’ve been nothing but good to me since I found out I was pregnant.”  
  
“But that’s still you. The humans were nothing but good to my mother when she found out she was pregnant but she looked human. It changed when she birthed me.”  
  
“But…” Hiccup swallowed. “You’re a gift from the gods for us, an item to be cherished.”  
  
“A seer of the dragons.” She spat. “Now your turn. Tell me of the Night Fury.”  
  
Hiccup crossed his arms over his belly. “My  _mate_ ,” he emphasized the word to remind her that it wasn’t just any Night Fury, “Isn’t like any of the stories. Most of the time, he doesn’t have his teeth extracted. He washes his left toes before his right and doesn’t like it when people play with his tail. He doesn’t like to show me anymore but he used to throw up his fish then re-eat the pile. Gronky – he’s the king – told me that a lot of dragons do that because they cook the food internally and then re-digest the cooked food for all the nutrients.” He tapped his foot. “He’s a healer, a respected one, in Hadak.” He chewed on the inside of his lips, seeing she was intrigued by that. Night Furies were devastating to the world around them. In his time with Toothless, he’d never seen it and could prove the stories could be false. “Tell me about these caves.”  
  
Ragna grunted. “Fine. These caves are the last story of our people, carved in by my grandfather four hundred years ago when we fled to Berk for our lives. He wrote the stories along these walls, sealed our family line into the caverns to care for them. They shall die out with me.” She switched sides. “And his scales, are they hardened or soft?”  
  
“Soft along his under belly but hardened along his back.”  
  
“And does he make love to you in his dragon form?”  
  
Hiccup choked on his spit. “What?”  
  
“Does he—”  
  
“I heard you the first time!” His hands rose to his head, covering his mouth. “Who asks that? How would you like if I asked how you sleep with your mate?” He lowered his hands, exhaling. “T-that is none of your business what I do with my mate. Go get your own.” He glared at her.   
  
“Relax, I’m just curious. My mother was more dragon than you, even if she was less than me. I’ve always been curious as to how our ancestors did it with beast. There hasn’t been a full human and a full dragon in some time, the last one broke up our entire civilization.” Ragna rubbed her scaled hands before indicating Hiccup to take a seat. The human did, tightening his hands in his lap.  
  
“Tell me about this cave.” Hiccup nodded towards the walls, the drawings across each square inch.  
  
Ragna looked around. “The story of our departure from our lands, written from my grandfather’s own eyes as a child. He believed that if we didn’t write it down, it would become lost. My mother says Sven knew that at one time humans and dragons lived together – mated one another even – but didn’t remember what had happened. The only reason he could think forever attacking humans was for a shared food supply and territory.”  
  
“Does he know about these caves?”  
  
“I don’t think he’s ever been brought here but mother never mentioned it.” Ragna shifted, her elbows catching on her chair. “I doubt it would change anything. The Night Furies that I know about come from these walls and the stories my mother told me.”  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
“Would it change anything?”  
  
Hiccup bit back a retort. “Not about my child but people need to know these stories. It might not repair human-dragon relations but it’s better than not having answers.”  
  
The fire in the hearth cracked. “According to my grandfather,” Ragna started, “There were dragons, humans, and in-betweens. There wasn’t a person around that couldn’t trace some lineage to a human or a dragon but every so often there was a clan that was strictly human or strictly dragon. Emperor Draklor’s family was strictly dragon and then there was…the Haddock family, strictly human.”  
  
 _Bjon Jesk Haddock_ , the chest found in Old Berk had said. His surname, passed on to him from his father’s father and so forth.  
  
“It would be a final step; both houses would mate off their youngest and cement the human-dragon relationship. That spring, the crowned prince married the oldest son of the Haddock family and things were good – happy, according to my grandfather. At the end of the year, the mate became pregnant and the real state of their mate-hood was brought into question. My grandfather says there had been rumors of the human’s fidelity.”  
  
“Why would anyone question that?” Hiccup’s eyes narrowed in thought.  
  
Her clawed feet clicked on the floor, attention drawn to the same depiction of the prince and his mate. “He says they had been a mated pair for a year before the human even became pregnant and dragons began questioning the authenticity of their mating. The more questions asked, the more the pair began to fight until one day…the human killed his mate in believed self-defense.”  
  
Hiccup raised a brow. “I heard that he’d just murdered his mate from the dragons.”  
  
“This is just what my grandfather remembers, I doubt we will fully know what happened between the two but the human mate was clear before the Emperor that he had to protect himself and the baby, that the prince had lost his sanity. There was a call to eradicate the last of the full humans. The full humans fought back while others fled to what we now call Berk. Grandfather says he was hidden here by his mother, who still very much loved her dragon mate who’d been killed in the fighting. All the other humans married other humans killed the babies that looked like dragons. We wanted to erase our mistakes for ever trusting them.” She stood up, walking around the small cave, fingering each design on the wall with sluggish steps. “These are our stories.”  
  
“And they’re going to go with you?” It was words etched with horror. These were stories that would be lost forever the minute Ragna passed.   
  
“You’ve seen it and was open to learn more but if it was anyone else from the village in your shoes, would they have listened? Would they have opened their eyes and seen this?” She touched her scales, indicating the differences on her, Toothless, Sven, Gronky, and Y’von. The whole dragon culture that intrigued Hiccup. “Now…tell me more about your mate and don’t leave out any details.”  
  
The sun was setting when Hiccup finally left the cave, filled with stories and a distinct feeling of home sickness. Thinking about Toothless made him long for Hadak but to actually talk about the dragon’s quirks made him want to wrangle a dragon and fly to Hadak.   
  
Snotlout met him at the gates of Berk. “Uncle’s been looking for you.” He threw a big arm over Hiccup’s shoulder, leading his cousin into the village. “So where’d you go?”  
  
“Around.” Hiccup shrugged. “Just needed some different air. Berk’s been a bit much.”  
  
“I’ll bet. Uncle’s at the town square with Gobber; don’t make any detours on your way.” Snotlout pushed on Hiccup’s shoulder.  
  
He’d originally planned to visit the dragons residing in Berk but his feet automatically took him into the training grounds, deep into the stone work that acted as protective shelter that functioned as a dining facility. In the center of the busy room, his dad was sitting with Gobber, sharing drinks and heavy chatter. Gobber noticed him first, raising his glass with a bellowing laugh while Stoick wiped his foamy mouth with the back of his arm.  
  
“Where’ve you been, Hiccup? We were starting to get a little worried!” Gobber patted the seat next to him, moving his drink over to that spot. “Sit down, have a pint!”  
  
His stomach jumped. “No thank you.”  
  
Stoick nodded. “I’ll see if there’s some milk.”  
  
“That would be nice.” Hiccup settled his hands on the table, not moving until the drink was set in front of him. Second meal was just starting, with Vikings of all sizes piling into the area with mixed conversation. Hiccup didn’t move from his spot but no one sat with them. Quietly watching the scene play out, Gobber slammed his hands into the table.  
  
“I’m going to get some mutton before the kiddos eat it all. I’ll grab you two a plate.”  
  
Alone with his dad, Hiccup’s stomach flopped. “You’ve met Ragna.”  
  
His father frowned. “That… thing. You should never have gone to those caves. You are  _not_  the leader.”  
  
Hiccup met his dad’s stare. “I’m next in line though.”  
  
That made his dad pause, hand returning to his mug. His beard seemed to twitch with a thought. “You’re right, you are my heir. I focused so hard on making you a warrior instead of a leader. Is that why you have been focusing on those dragons? Do they make you feel in power?” He turned his bulky body towards his son. “I have been at fault a lot. I took away your job and responsibilities and you had to find something to do. The dragons gave you something to do, didn’t they?”  
  
Hiccup shrugged. His days went by rather quickly in Hadak because he was either at his makeshift smithy or he was learning the language. Here he was just trying to find a place, be it with dragons or with humans. “I’m bored, I’ll admit but that’s not entirely the reason. I don’t want power, dad. I just want to know who I am.” Not Berk’s next best smithy, not Toothless’ stupid human mate. He didn’t even belong with the captive dragons of Berk.   
  
“Well… starting tomorrow I want you up bright and early. You’re going to start learning your father’s job.”  
  
“This another attempt to keep an eye on me because if so, I’ll just go back to being bored in my room.” Hiccup sipped his milk, enjoying the taste all too much. There were no muskox’s in Hadak so the milk was a spiral of taste on his tongue. “Besides, I seem to remember Snotlout being next in line for the job because he just made you  _oh so proud_  how he could toss a dragon over his stupid shoulder.” Hiccup rolled his eyes. “But I bet if there was a dragon here, I wouldn’t be ripped apart.”  
  
At least, he  _hoped_  he wouldn’t be ripped apart.   
  
“That was wrong for me to joke about that, I admit. But son, you’ve always been next in line. My brother knows that, Snotlout knows that. You’ll be allowed back into the smithy once this…thing… is taken care of.”  
  
“It’s a baby, dad. Your grandkid. Future of the Haddock family, next in line for your seat.” Curling his fingers under his chin, Hiccup watched his father’s movement. The scowl of annoyance was quickly replaced with calm understanding.   
  
Standing up, Stoick placed his big hand on Hiccup’s back as he passed. “Just met me tomorrow by the well. We’ll start our lessons first thing.” He left out the door just as Gobber came back over with two plates of mutton stew.  
  
The man glanced around, playing with the rock tooth in his mouth. “Now where’d your dad go?”  
  
“Probably to kill something.” Hiccup nodded his thanks for the stew. Swallowing a mouthful, he fought the urge to smile as his insides warmed around his baby. “I don’t actually want to be village leader.”  
  
“Well, you’ll get usurped quickly when it happens, so I won’t be too worried about ever being village leader. Remember, there’s always a bed at my place and a hammer that needs a good hand to use.” Gobber tilted the bowl, draining the liquid stew down his throat before spooning the pieces of meat with healthy chews. When his meal was gone, the big man cleaned his mouth by rolling his wrist over his lips, smacking them loudly. “Anyway, your dad is only looking out for you. We’re worried, y’know. Been so distant since coming back and then Tuffnut starts saying you were _talking_  with the dragons. People talk. There haven’t been any attacks yet but what if they sent you to size up our forces? Make us weak internally?”  
  
“I don’t think there’s going to be any attacks on Berk any time soon, Gobber.” Hiccup ripped off a piece of side bread, dipping it in the stew. “And I wouldn’t be too worried that I’m teaming up with any dragons. In fact, those dragons seem to be on dad’s side.”  
  
Gobber frowned. “About what these days?”  
  
“Everything. Me, my future, my…” He tightened his hands around his spoon. He couldn’t tell even his closest friend about the baby. He couldn’t help but think the man would take to this a lot better than his own father had. “They never listen to me when I try to talk and go off on their own half-baked idea about what’s best for me. I’m sick of it. I disappear so I can think.”  
  
“Maybe if you spoke up about what you wanted.”  
  
The glare he sent towards the man spoke volumes more than his own voice could. “Don’t think I haven’t been talking.”  
  
“Well you’ve been talking but you haven’t controlled the conversation. I was there the day you go back and you shouted. He listened then. You controlled the room and reminded everyone that you were next in line to take care of Berk. Then it just… disappeared. You gonna finish that?” The man indicated Hiccup’s half eaten stew.  
  
Sliding the bowl over, Hiccup settled his hands in his lap. “Have to control the room, huh?”  
  
“Mm. Not much be done if your dad just sat in the corner whispering out ‘listen to me.’ No! He bellows and yells and people look and listen!” The man waved his missing arm, the wooden prosthetic cutting air with loud  _whoosh_  sounds. “That’s how you show you’re a leader. It’s all in the voice. Don’t be a Hiccup be a—Hiccup? Hey, where you going?”  
  
Already hallway to the door, the human waved his hand absently in departure as he made his way through the corridors of the building. Deep in the heart of the fortress, there was a labyrinth that led straight to the dragon training yard and, through that, into the holding cages. It was often unguarded because the doors itself was only big enough for a smaller Viking to make it through. Hiccup held tight against the walking, making his way through the corridor into the holding cells with a swallowed breath.  
  
The dragons were all settled together along walls, hushed whispers as they ate their own rationed out supply of fish. Sven noticed him first, tilting his head back with some interest.  
  
“I met Ragna, today,” he started, holding his hand up to stop Sven from trying to interrupt. “I think she’s beautiful and between you and the village, you’ve made her fill ugly and unwanted.”  
  
“ _I think she’s gorgeous, like her mother._ ” Sven shifted his body closer to the bars. “ _But do you see the response the villages have for half-breeds? They love you but will they love your child? Hadak loved Unn but when it was learned Ragna couldn’t fly, they dismissed her and we had to leave because it wasn’t a sure life to bring a daughter up in._ ”  
  
“Tell me about you and Unn.”  
  
Sven tilted his long neck back, his red eyes deep into the walls. “ _I met her when I was just over eighty summers. She was my age but looked so young; you could tell she was a half-breed by smell. Looked like a human. We met in the cove every week, courting. I brought her silk from Far East and jewels from far south and I took her hand and asked her to be my mate. In front of her father, who was the last person of the Age of Old, we had our ceremony and I helped her fly to the west._ ” His eyes glazed over.  
  
Around them, the dragons sat and stared. The Nadder that had sent Hiccup to see Ragna originally huffed, settling in his private cage with his head turned.  
  
“ _And we had a beautiful daughter with no wings but the most gorgeous set of horns. She was so human, so beautiful and I wanted to share her with the world. I wanted the humans to see her so I brought her down to Berk in my walking form and they saw me…_ ” Sven quieted. “ _They chased us off and I learned Unn had fled the village when she had the baby. So I brought her and our little one to my home in North, hoping that the Queen will understand that we’ve been attacked by humans, understand our plight. She didn’t and issued an attack._ ” He flicked his flat tongue over his sharp fangs. “ _My dearest friend, Gronky, helped us escape to Hadak._ ”  
  
“Because he was the King of Hadak.”  
  
“ _Not at the time. He was a food collector for the Queen of North at the time, gave up everything to help get Unn and me to Hadak and into the protective custody of the Lord Mjnn._ ” Sven quieted again. “ _I’d never met the King of Hadak until then. Unn and Ragna stayed with me there for years until the Queen came and demanded Hadak get rid of the human-lovers. She attacked at night with other dragons to get to my mate and child and the king put Gronky in charge of Hadak’s defense while getting me and my mate out of there._ ”  
  
There was silence in the small cage, all attention on Sven. “ _The King and his mate were the last known Night Furies until Njáll was claimed heir for the Queen. I did not know, however, that they had produced an egg before that night when he ordered me to slice off his skin and cloak my mate into the night._ ”  
  
 _…The Lord Prince to Emperor Draklor, the last registered Night Fury in the human books until my mother’s slaying of one over a hundred summers ago…_  
  
“But you didn’t kill King Mjnn.” Hiccup supplied.  
  
Sven shook his head. “ _I couldn’t, I was weak like that. My mate took the blade and begged forgiveness, killing him instantly before slicing off his skin to hide her and Ragna. We arrived back in Hadak a week later and I abandoned my mate and daughter to help the tides of power in Hadak. I told her to hide our baby and when I finally came back she’d been forced into that cave in the mountains, hidden from the world and treated with caution. Not human but not quite dragon with a monstrosity of a child. I should have known better. I should have been careful who I made an egg with._ ”  
  
“So you punished yourself?”  
  
“ _Yes, for my transgressions. I put my daughter into a horrible place by making her into something that no one would want except Unn and myself. A child cannot just live with only two people in her life. I can never be forgiven, should have found somewhere else for my family to live, there has to be more places that have ties with the old ways but we didn’t seek it out. Just as Unn died trying to give her daughter everything, I will die for my transgressions to my family._ ”  
  
Hiccup swallowed something heavy. His heart perhaps? “If I were to open this gate you’d never fly, not even to see Ragna.”  
  
“ _I could never face her after what I’ve done._ ” Sven swallowed. “ _And will gladly die in here, as the beast that killed another beast._ ” Because only one person from the village knew about Ragna and that was Stoick. Ragna intended to die in that cavern with her stories and fixation on the Night Fury that saved her mother while loathing her father for ruining her life by making her what she was. Would his children hate him? Was that why Toothless fled into North? “ _Don’t look like that, your mate will be back and your child will love you._ ”  
  
“ _Don’t lie to him Sven. He’s freely making another atrocity for our children to deal with._ ” The Nadder in the cage slithered out, approaching the cage with his head lowered, and eyes narrowed. “ _Lord Njáll probably realized the mess he was made, remembered that a half-breed killed his father to protect her own hide, to protect another mon—_ ”  
  
Fist clenched to his side, Hiccup hissed, “Shut up! Y, you…lower water dweller!” The Nadder’s eye flickered with rage at the insult. In his experience in Hadak, Nadders were prideful dragons of higher rank such as guard. A water dweller was usually smaller dragons such as Gronckles and Terrors that worked irrigation. “No one asked your opinion of the matter. My child will be loved even if it isn’t by Hadak, Berk, or North. Do you want to know why?”  
  
“ _Because you’re delusional?_ ”  
  
“No,” Hiccup growled in a threatening manner, “because you and Sven and every dragon in Berk will love him or her. You will cherish this life, your future. You are not in North. You are not in Hadak. This is my world and you’re in it.”  
  
“ _You have no control over me._ ” The Nadder growled back.  
  
Reaching into the cage, Hiccup grabbed the Nadder by one of his horns, pulling him against the cage. The thing hissed, snapping sharp teeth toward Hiccup’s hand but each bite missed. Pulling the creature against the cage, Hiccup leaned over to stare at the Nadder in the eye. Gronky had once told him dragons perceive power by strength and by all stretch of the word, the human was not strong but he knew he had an advantage: speed.  
  
 _I’m not stronger than you but I am fast. I have something to protect._  His eyes burned. “My child is your future leader. It may not fly it might not look like a dragon or a human but it will be strong. It’ll be like its father. You will respect me and my baby.”  
  
The yellow eyes flashed gold.   
  
“I am Njáll Hiccup.”  
  
Wings clipping the bars, the Nadder pushed back but didn’t budge from the human’s grip. “ _You are Njáll Hiccup._ ”  
  
“You’re going to love my baby.”  
  
“ _I will love Njáll Hatchling_.”  
  
Not what he said but Hiccup would have to ask Ragna for more help later. “And you will protect Njáll Hatchling.”  
  
The last part was a hiss of, “ _I will protect Njáll Hatchling._ ”  
  
Letting go of the dragon, Hiccup stepped back. Every nerve was on edge and it scared him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the room, all the eyes on him. “I, I’m sorry…” He dropped his head against the bar, closing his eyes. After a long pause, he pushed away from the bars towards the furthest walls where the key was held firmly latched that even a Terror couldn’t unclasp it. Hiccup’s dexterous fingers worked off the screws of the locking mechanism, pulling the key free. “If you want to go back to your homes, go. Just…do it in the morning when the first guy comes down so it’s his fault, please.”  
  
He was halfway out the door when he heard the Nadder’s low growl in the back of his head. “ _You’ll freeze out there, stupid human. Come here._ ”  
  
“So you could attack me?” Hiccup glared over his shoulder.  
  
“ _I would have attacked you if that was my motive,_ ” The Nadder frowned. “ _Your mate’s been gone awhile now. There’s a snow coming. Come here._ ” He raised his wing in offering, looking away.  
  
Smiling, Hiccup stepped up to the cage, nervously touching the unlocked door. It slid open under his weight, breaking the barrier between him and the dragons of Berk. All but the Nadder and Sven backed off, nervous to see what would transpire between the two. The Nadder he’d been arguing with just moments before raising his wing higher in offering.   
  
Reassurance tugged at his heartstrings as he settled against the Nadder. The wing was like a warm blanket, only a smaller one than Toothless’.   
  
And for the first night since coming home, Hiccup felt that everything was going to be okay, even without his mate.


	11. Chapter 11

They were just two wooden figures that had faded images over years from dry rot. The first gift Toothless had ever given him was disappearing with the time: little dolls depicting him and the dragon, carved by the dragon himself.

Sitting around at home, Hiccup started teaching himself to knit while imagining his mate sitting around in Hadak using his skill to carve beautiful dolls using the same skill to carve a beautiful crib. Luckily his dad had saved Hiccup's crib and brought it up to the teen's room earlier that week with a careless shrug. It wasn't much but it made Hiccup smile knowing his dad was at least trying to be there when his son needed him.

He'd never realized how much of a packrat he'd been over the years until earlier that week while moving his room around to fit the crib in the best spot available. The dolls had been buried under a weapon design on his desk, hidden away from his dad's prying eyes months ago when he'd finished the saddle in hope to fly for the first time in his life. Now, they sat on a shelf facing the bed like a good husband a wife figurine, a promise of return to the life he'd grown to cherish.

With Disting around the corner, the house had been a frenzy of life while his father accumulated the cost not only of their household but of the village as a whole. Areas covered with less snow were being planned out for early planting and he'd last heard Fishlegs talking about how his favorite ox was heavy with young, likely to birth during that favored holiday. A good sign if it truly meant prosperity. Things were finally looking good in Berk. They had more sheep than ever, the fish levels were in abundance, and the last he'd heard the only house fire that winter was caused by a couple of triplets trying to cook fish on their own.

Spring.

It was still cold outside, there were still months between now and summer but it still made him realize that he'd been in Berk for a month without his mate. The last month his stomach had exploded in size, no longer a small pouch of surprise but a wide bump that extended. His dad had asked him earlier that morning if he was feeling okay while reminiscing about his wife during her pregnancy with Hiccup.

"I finally look pregnant than just feeling like I am."

And that was pretty much what Hiccup felt. He could see his little baby now but he'd grow upset hearing his dad talk about how Hiccup had been a restless baby for months. He had yet to feel his child but that dragons in the cages swore to him his baby was fine, probably only moving when Hiccup was in deep sleep.  _But one day you're not going to contain yourself._

Rubbing his belly, Hiccup slid his body out of bed. His father was in their low kitchen, over the hearth warming his big hands. "I'm going into the dragon pits today."

"I wish you wouldn't, people are starting to talk."

"Let them talk. They like to fly out in the training grounds and there's a cage over the site. They haven't flown the coop yet." And he doubted any of them would. Since standing up to Vidar, the Nadder with more than enough attitude to spare, the dragons had taken to Hiccup with a new sense of charm.

_They're my clan._ Hiccup smiled with pride. His father huffed, shaking his head.

"What if one were to jump you while you're out  _playing_ with them. You're not a boy anymore."

"I'm not working so I couldn't possibly be a man, either." Hiccup tugged his arms through his heavier coat, one of his father's coats. It was big and there was plenty of room to grow into, especially with the baby growing at such a rapid rate. "Look, I helped collect taxes, I broke up that land dispute between Thorvald and Vladimus, I think I'm entitled to a little R-and-R before the snow melts for a few days and the real work starts."

Stoick shook his head. "The ships need to be checked on."

At the door, Hiccup paused. He knew what ships his father was talking about, the ones that continuously were in search for the dragon nest. This may have been a reprieve from the dragon attacks but the inhabitants of Berk wanted to attack first, by finding the nest. "You won't find it. I've never seen North but Hadak is shrouded in magic, far out of reach without the power of flight."

"Go play with your dragons."

Pushing the door open, Hiccup leaned on the jamb. "If you didn't want me goofing off all day, let me go back to the smithy. There's always work to be done and the spring is always our biggest season, what with tools that need to be created and prosthetics that need replaced." He knew his father wasn't going to give him that satisfaction though, not so far in the pregnancy.

Outside, the sun was already setting, bringing in the cold wind from the North. Many families were finally settling from a hard day of work in their private homes, not aware of the turmoil going on between their beloved leader and his stupid son. It made Hiccup wish to go back to the time that his world was made up with making his dad happy and there was nothing he could do to irritate his father. These days if they made it over one hurdle, it should be celebrated.

But he'd heard Fishlegs say that every person went through this stage with their parents. Most just grew out of it by the time they were seventeen and going off to be parents of their own.

"Are you going to hate me too?" He placed his hand on his belly. The skin was warm to the touch, either the baby or magic warming up the area to keep the little inhabitant safe from the elements.

Tuffnut was on duty by the cages, giving Hiccup an annoyed look when the boy walked past. "Yeah, take your dragons on a walk. Just remember to put them back when you're done." It was snorted with arrogance, as if to say,  _I'm letting you do this, be grateful_.

It wasn't like there was much the blonde could do. Hiccup had his father's reluctant agreement to let the dragons spread their wings more often than just during training season. The trek to the cages were a familiar one and Hiccup only absently grabbed the keys as he walked to the bars, opening the door and slipping in to approach the big door that led out to the training hall. He didn't even have the main gate partially open when the Terrors shoved past him towards the training grounds, rolling over one another to be the first out.

"Are you going to join us, Sven?" Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at the old dragon.

" _You young ones have your fun._ " The dragon smiled.

Standing next to him, Vidar pushed his wing into the taller beast. " _Lazy bones._ "

" _Old bones. Watch the human for me_."

" _My sworn duty to_." Vidar sided up to Hiccup, holding his wing out. " _My Lord_."

Hiccup smiled. "Kiss up." But he took the first step, following the Gronckles out. The sun was already gone, replaced by the bright moon that seemed so big in the night sky. Hiccup smiled up at it, almost expecting to see Toothless' shadow etched into the light from his favorite night flights.

But Toothless wasn't here.

The Terrors started racing across the cage, touching on side and moving to the next while playfully insulting one another about speed and overall fatness. The Gronckles, on the other hand, relaxed on the far edge of the cage, just enjoying the dirt and snow while a couple of the Nadders play-fight in the other corner. Every trace of the tension between their homelands had been discarded, leaving on Berk Dragons with no actually sense of nationalism.

Vidar stayed next to him, offering internal warmth that Toothless used to do before the Queen called him. Above him, Hiccup watched the starry night skies, inhaling sharply as a flash of light began moving across the skies. It lasted a second before disappearing into the night, forgotten.

"I once watched the lights with Toothless, when he was courting me," Hiccup whispered absently.

The Nadder glanced at him before looking around. It was starting to get late out so none of the Vikings were on guard around the cages. Transforming into his humanoid form, the dragon stood just a few inches taller than Hiccup, arms drawn across his toned bluish-green chest. " _That's the Queen's rage._ " He explained absently. Hiccup looked at him, surprise in his face. " _She secretes so much power and when she's mad it bellows out into a light that spreads distances. You can see it pretty far south, in traces. She's always mad around this time of the year_."

"About what?" Hiccup asked, settling on the dirt to look up as another flicker of light came from the North. Wasn't as romantic as it had been with Toothless that night, what felt like forever ago.

" _Food, mostly. She sits up in that cave all year and we bring her food. Sometimes we run low and she growls and yells but only a few dragons can make it this far south to grab something._ "

Laying his chin on his knees, Hiccup looked up at the man. "You don't seem tired."

Vidar smiled. " _We've been in Berk a long time. This marks my thirtieth year._ "

"How old are you?"

" _Young yet!_ " Vidar laughed. " _I am 110 this Summer. Came to Berk thirty winters ago, looking for some meat to feed our Queen and was captured with a sheep. Couldn't save the sheep and the Viking kid broke my tail when I tried to escape._ "

Hiccup winced. "I'm sorry."

" _Well, I don't underestimate your village leader anymore._ "

"Well… my dad has a lot to prove. I think he's small where it counts."

The Nadder gave him a bewildered look, big eyes impossibly wider before he sucked in a sharp breath, falling to the ground with laughter. " _T, That's great!_ " He cried out, throwing his wings over his belly with laughter. " _And I bet you aren't?_ " He reached out, poking Hiccup in the side with his clawed foot.

Pulling away, Hiccup snickered. "Well… I'm no dragon, unless Toothless is just that extraordinary." A faint purple took the Nadder's cheeks as he ducked his head, embarrassed. Hiccup grinned while dropping back into the dirt, arms pillowing his head. "Well, even if it is an angry Queen, I still have this memory of my first kiss under her anger. Toothless didn't seem scared and it made other dragons come out and watch." There was this relaxed atmosphere that made him kiss Toothless, giving into the desire to be courted. It was one of his happiest memories, the realization that even if they were entirely different creatures, there was still a physical attraction possible.

Sitting up, Vidar snickered into his clawed palm but glanced up. " _I guess it's pretty but it still means the Queen could eat us without a moment notice._ " He wrapped his big arms around his knees, dropping his wings on Hiccup, an attempt to keep the human warm. Snuggled in close, Hiccup grinned at his once-enemy. " _What are you going to do if Leader Njáll doesn't return?_ "

"I haven't been thinking about it because I know he will return."

He felt the warm breath against his hair, the mouth on his forehead. " _Then I too hope he returns but if he doesn't… I will protect Hiccup._ "

Pulling away, Hiccup touched his head. "Thank you for being concerned, Vidar but… Toothless will be back. He promised me and if he's not… I'll wait. For as long as it takes." He stood up, dusting himself off. "And if he doesn't, I don't need another mate or protector."

Vidar's gaze lowered. " _Of course. I… apologize._ " The Nadder pushed himself up, waving his hand to collect all the dragons' attention. " _There's another snow coming in. I'd much prefer it if you go back to your own home tonight._ "

He'd never been sent away from the dragons' cages. They produced equal, if not more, heat than the heath at home, keeping him comfortable all night. There was also the feeling of being safe he couldn't find in his bed at home that was in abundance with the others.

But, he did just turn down the Nadder's offer to fill his bed, in Toothless' place. He probably just wanted some time without Hiccup around. "I see." Hiccup touched his belly, accepting the help to stand. Dusting his pants, Hiccup nodded. "I understand." He led the dragons back to their cages, locking the gate firmly behind him. "Vidar…I'm sorry I can't give you what you want. I'm Toothless' until the day I know he doesn't want me anymore."

" _Can I at least…_ " The humanoid leaned against the gate. " _Just one?_ "

And Hiccup kissed him, feeling the shame in himself the minute his lips met the lipless mouth. There was an attraction, there was no question to that, but the fire he felt with his mate wasn't there. He didn't want to rip off his clothes and beg the other dragon to make love to him, no matter how much he wanted someone to touch him as more than just a friend these days.

Pulling away, Hiccup lowered his gaze. Vidar dropped his head on Hiccup's, breathing out heavily. " _Thanks for at least giving me that, human._ "

"If any of you tell Toothless," Hiccup whispered, "I'll gut you."

" _I'd like to see you try,_ " said Vidar without malice. " _Stay warm._ "

"Thank you." Hiccup smiled at the dragon, taking his leave after locking the door to his cage on his way out. As he left the corridor, he could hear Sven's low growl echo vibrate across the wall.

" _You're overstepping your orders to watch the Prince's Mate. Do not overstep them again._ "

Shaking his head, Hiccup pulled his coat tight around him when he stepped out into winter night. There were a few stragglers outside, drunk as could be coming home from a night in the town square. He met up with his father halfway up the hill, dragging his weight, nose red. Putting his weight around his dad, Hiccup helped the grown man up the hill.

"-A, and I showed him! Freidberg is a fucking idiot if he thinks he can throw farther than I can!"

"You showed him, throwing him over that wall. Bet he'll feel that when he comes to." Hiccup wedged his foot in the door, carrying his father through the small house. Before going up to his room, he tossed wood into the flame before climbing up to the loft, shutting the door behind him. Absently, he touched his lips, still feeling the lingering kiss.

If Toothless was here, what would he do? Probably would force his own tongue into his mate's mouth, remind Hiccup who his body belonged to.

Dropping on the bed, Hiccup looked at the carved Night Fury on the shelf. He sometimes wondered if Toothless had already began thinking of Hiccup as a possible mate that day, when he slipped into the room during the dragon attack. If he remembered clearly, that night had been the oddest attack ever, according to his father who claimed that nothing was stolen, no house had major damage, and no Vikings were seriously harmed. It was like a perfectly orchestrated distracter.

One that lasted long enough for Toothless to frolic in this room after leaving his gifts, playing chase with a little human. He couldn't have been older than sixty at the time, still a child, nearing his adulthood. A last attempt at play.

Hiccup giggled, trying to imagine his mate making a hearty grab at his childhood with a human. Would he play like that with their little one? Chase the child around the room in a planned dance of cat and mouse, with the mouse always being a little quicker. Or was that just a courting ritual?

Would Toothless play it differently now? Would he still balance from the furniture, watching Hiccup like a delicious prey for his own? Their bodies would move across one another and Toothless would do that horrible thing when he tripped the Hiccup with his tail. He'd push Hiccup over and climb on top of the human.

Hiccup laid back on the bed, staring up all the ceiling. Toothless would be in his dragon form. All menacing and predator-like. He'd kissed his dragon in that form a few times, but it was clearer about their differences. Toothless didn't have the mobility he had in his human-like form but his big paws would press on both sides of Hiccup's head, pushing his weight on his back legs. They had never made love in that form, but Hiccup would be lying if he said he never thought about it.

They wouldn't be able to face each other in that form. Hiccup would have to be on his knees, one of his least favorite positions because it was hard to kiss. He wouldn't be able to see the dragon when he came.

A small moan escaped Hiccup's lips. Eyes wide, the boy covered his mouth, not sure why he was even thinking like this. Toothless wouldn't want to touch him, not with his belly so big with a baby.

But, Toothless had loved him even after a long summer day, when his body was soaked with sweat and mud.

Tugging at his coat strings, Hiccup broke the ties with nimble fingers and took it and his shirt off together. His pants were next to go, thrown in the completely opposite direction of his shirt.

Toothless still made love to him that night, pregnancy and all. That seemed like forever ago now. Kissing Vidar reminded him just how lonely he was. Even after their primarily mating, there weren't more than a few days in between a coupling. It was like that first time had released something in Hiccup that he never knew existed. He'd all but ignored the feeling until just then when he realized his own needs had been forgotten.

Closing his eyes, he let his head drop back. He brought his fingers up to his bite mark. Toothless had pushed him into this bed on more than one occasion until last year, biting his shoulder, reestablishing the marking.

He’d always be in his dragon form then. Had it ever occurred to him to roll Hiccup over? His hand slid over his nipples at the thought. Toothless’ tongue rolling down his belly, the dragon’s sharp claws over his belly. Their love making the month before he left had been focused on his belly, with a sense of pride. Toothless had put this baby in the human and Hiccup had loved every second of it.   
  
Eyes snapping open when his wrist touched his hard penis, Hiccup used his elbow to prop himself up. When was the last time he’d come? Not any time recently, he rarely felt attractive.  
  
But Toothless would think he was. Toothless would crawl down, licking his way down Hiccup’s chest, then his belly. Toothless, in his human form, would worship Hiccup’s cock, balls and hole, eliciting moans like no other. When the tight, rough fist of his mate wrapped around his cock while the thickest of tongues pressed into his thigh hole, all of his thoughts would stop.   
  
Wrapping his hand around his penis, Hiccup bit the inside of his cheek, trying to stop the cry threatening to escape as the tip of his finger moved from his penis to his hole. Spreading his legs apart, he leaned back in his bed, slipping his finger between the folds of his ass and along his entrance.   
  
“T, Toothless…”  
  
He wanted Toothless filling him, every part of the dragon. What he wouldn’t give to feel the dragon on him now, making love to him. IT wouldn’t matter if it was his humanoid or dragon form, as long as it was the man he fell in love with.   
  
His finger pushed into his hole, pushing in as far as he could. Even if it wrist ached, all he could think was putting in more in him. One finger, then two. Spreading his leg further apart, the human whimpered as he brought his other arm down, wrapping his cock again.  
  
Toothless would claim him, push his big cock deep into the human. Would keep pushing until that big bulb at the base of his cock was stuffed into him, locking them together. He would kiss Hiccup, swallowing his moans while kneading his penis against that spot that made Hiccup see stars.  
  
The tip of his finger brushed against that spot.  
  
“A, ah.”  
  
Curling his fingers, Hiccup brushed that spot again, toes curling. His mouth was so dry, tongue protruding over his bottom lip as his breathing picked up. Fingers moving fast, he worked his cock in his open fist, from tip to base, balls slapping against his closed fist. His stomach coiled as his balls pulled back. Eyes snapping shut, Hiccup’s breathing quickened as his orgasm built up until finally he let go, covering his hand with his seed.

Pulling his hands away, he stared at both, focused not on the mess he made but the fact that his dreams had shattered into a sense of loneliness. It was still him in Berk without Toothless. That was his cum cooling on his hand, his thighs still dry. It wasn't the same feeling of having been with Toothless but his very marrow was vibrating with a sense of joy he hadn't felt in so long.

"Wish it was you instead," he whispered, rubbing his wet hand into his blanket. Climbing out of bed, Hiccup grabbed his pants again, sliding them on.

Leaving his room, he carefully made his way back downstairs, grabbing the wash rag from the water bowl, cleaning the evidence from his body. Stepping in front of his dad's room, he wedged the door open to glance inside. His father snored loudly, scratching his belly. "Night, dad." He shut the door, making his way back up the stairs.

Before settling on his bed, he grabbed his two carvings from the shelf, bringing them into bed with him.

Settled up against the wall, Hiccup walked the human-sculpture up his belly, stopping at the dragon, which he tilted to an angle. Clicking the two figurines together, Hiccup made a loud kiss sound. "No kiss is like yours." He told the Toothless-figure. "I wish you could kiss me again."

His stomach gave a twitch. Putting his figurines down, Hiccup rubbed his belly, along the spot he was sure that had a spasm. Nothing. He rubbed the skin with his fingers, this time feeling it. The slight flutter of skin in his lower abdomen fluttered under his touch, startling him. Pulling back to his feet, he rushed from his loft, nearly tripping over himself as he entered his father's room, tossing himself into the straw bed.

"Dad! Dad! Wake up!"

His father jerked, bleary eyes looking around his small room. "'Uh, huh? Wha' goin' on?" He dropped his head back. "At'ck?" He groaned.

"No, no attack. Look!" He took his dad's hand putting it on his belly just in time for another ripple from his belly.

Not even trying to sit up, Stoick spread his hand out. "T'at's your baby?"

"It's finally moving!" Hiccup giggled, pushing his dad's hand away to touch. "I knew you were okay, just really shy."

Stoick blinked unevenly, finally pushing him up. "Not how'e imagined t'is day." Stoick rubbed the spot around Hiccup's feelings. "Yer mama woulda been proud."

"Really?"

"Ain't nothin' you could do to annoy 'er." Stoick sniffed. "F'el that? Strong Viking."

And Hiccup smiled. It wasn't a moment spent with Toothless but it was an open door with his dad, with both him and his child. "Yeah, a strong Viking boy."

"Hic'up?"

"Yea, dad?"

"C'n I lay down? Still drunk." He dropped back. ""m glad."

Standing at the door, Hiccup turned his head back. "What for?"

"First time you been happy since comin' home." Stoick closed his eyes, lured back to sleep by his drunken haze.

Hiccup smiled at his dad, still rubbing his belly. Things were finally looking up in his life.

Before going to sleep, he kissed the Night Fury statuette before placing it next to the human figure again on the shelf. He was about to fall into a deep sleep when his eyes snapped open, bringing his attention to the dolls again. He finally fell into a deep sleep after setting face down on the ground, right next to each other as he and Toothless would really lay at night.

And if Stoick saw it in his post-hang-over daze, he didn't comment neither did Hiccup draw his dad's attention to the wood carvings on his shelf.


	12. Chapter 12

He noticed himself in the mirror on his way down to make breakfast for both him and his father. With winter a fading memory and spring at full force, he had been experiences the full bout of pregnancy but it was that moment that it occurred to him how big he was getting. Laying his hands on his grown belly, Hiccup tugged on the hem of his father's shirt that covered his belly and noted the tightness of his pants.

The baby was moving so much these last few weeks and the midwives had called meeting just last week about going about his birthing process. Hiccup hadn't thought too much about how he was going to have his baby until just that second, when he realized how real his pregnancy was coming to an end with him still in Berk. Gronky had promised to help him through the birth but now that seemed like such a passing thought.

Stumbling down the stairs, Hiccup met his father in their small kitchen, narrowly ducking out of the way. His belly hit the barrel containing his father's swords, knocking the object to the ground with the loud rattle that shook his very nerves. Stepping back, he hit his father's chair before wedging himself along the wall where he couldn't touch anything else.

"I'm huge." He whispered, tucking his arms behind his lower back to relieve tension.

"No you're not, you're…" His father glanced up from cleaning up the stray swords, trying to find the right word to settle his own nerves and not irritate Hiccup. "Well, yeah, you're definitely pregnant. Or trying to steal our smallest lamb." He placed a big hand on his son's belly, the other ruffling through thick brown hair that Hiccup had pulled back that morning. "You look just like your mother!"

"Thanks…I guess." Hiccup shrugged, not trying to think about his mother's actual size. "I'm going to go see Healer Madie before I go out to the docks." He tossed wood into the fire, ready to heat up what they had made for dinner the night before. It had simmered nicely throughout the night, promising to be bountiful in flavor that morning.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Stoick asked, settling into his chair at the head of the table.

"No, I think I'm good. I would like it if you could travel out to Ragna sometime this week. I want her to be present for the baby, in case something happens. She says she's not a mid-wife but she knows dragon magic so I'd just feel more comfortable if she was around, on the just in case." Hiccup rubbed his belly while stirring the leftover stew. "I don't think I can make it anymore through those mountains, weather allowing or not." The last time he successfully made it all the way had been at the tail end of winter, before his belly had dropped some. It had taken a week to find the energy to come back and even then, Ragna had to help him a good portion of the way.

Stoick nodded. "I'll set about that after I start the annual dragon training camp. Your dragons are going to be on their best behavior, won't they?"

Hiccup shrugged. "They're not mine to control." A lie but his dad didn't need to know how much control his human son had over the group of wayward dragons residing in Berk. "But from what I understand, they love this time of the year because of the camp. Apparently messing with the trainee's head makes their month." Even Sven had perked up with word of the opening of another dragon camp for the year, which was a surprise feat considering the dragon had grown more lax these last few weeks.

"Just make sure they don't do any funny business. With how quiet things have been, people are thinking are dragon problems are a thing of the past. I worry that they're just trying to trick us into laxness."

"Trust me, even the training dragons don't have a clue where all the other dragons disappeared to. It's making them as edgy as it's making us."

Winters had always been rather quiet in Berk but this year had taken the cake. Between the day Hiccup had been whisked away to Hadak and today, there hadn't been a sight of a dragon outside their captive ones. Even the Terrors that used to lurk under house floor boards had come up missing. Good riddance according to some but a weary concern too many.

Even Hiccup had to wonder what was going on for such a change to occur.

Pouring his father a bowl of the stew, Hiccup set himself up with some food before sitting down, spooning the meal. "But I'll remind them before the training starts." Scrapping the bottom of his bowl, Hiccup set the dirty dish in a pile he would need to clean up later that day. "'M going now, got so much to do before nightfall." Grabbing his fur vest, Hiccup shrugged it over his shoulders as he wedged open the house door with his foot.

"Don't overwork yourself." Stoick commented absently.

"I'll try not to." Hiccup brought his fingers to his temple, nodding politely. "Later." He slammed the door behind him. A year ago, he would have rushed down the hill from his father's home to the village. These days he clung on tightly, afraid to go rolling down. The steepness seemed more acute with the weight centered in his belly and every small thing had him worried he could be clumsy and trip.

He waved towards Astrid on his way towards the docks, carrying two heavy canisters of butter. Grabbing one, Hiccup dragged it behind him, trying not to notice the look the girl gave him. It was the same as all the other villagers.  _Little Hiccup has grown_. "You look healthy." She said absently.

"So do you. I hear congratulations are in order." He nodded to her belly, a fragment of weight that only the trained eye could pick up. His belly once looked like that. "Is your husband excited?"

"Yes and thank you. We just found out." She lowered her gaze, a faint pink across her nose. "I don't mean to stare. You just… you've never been so big, even as a kid. And we may have had a good winter but our food was still rationed out."

"What can I say, I just  _blossomed_ into a Viking." Hiccup chuckled.

"Some people say the dragons did more than just fill you up, you know," whispered Astrid. "They say they put an actual dragon in you – making you birth a dragon as punishment for us killing so many."

His father's rule about letting people know of his pregnancy was still in place. All Hiccup wanted to do was defend his baby because he was already insecure of his weight gain. He was tired of the rumor, that he was eating more than the others or that he was dying. "You know that's silly. I'm human, they're dragon. It'd never work out."

Astrid shrugged. "You never know. The way you're so chummy with them, I'd think _you_ wouldn't mind if they put a baby in you. A baby Nadder perhaps?" She grinned, almost knowingly. "People are also saying you're sleeping with them."

"Everyone knows I sleep with them," Hiccup breathed. "Come one, I'm in their nest all the time, I'm use to the company of dragons and you haven't lived until you slept under a wing."

The girl pushed on his arm. "Not that kind of sleep! I mean  _sleep_ , like a husband and his wife."

Hiccup blushed. "No, never!" He stiffed his posture. "It's just stress. With the changes in diet, my body isn't reacting well to it at all."

"Hiccup, you can tell us anything. People make up these rumors because you won't talk." The girl grabbed the other canister of butter from him. "To be honest, I think the rumors are truer. You don't look just fat, you look vibrant. Like a woman about to give birth." She shook her head, blond strands escaping from the tight bun on the top of her head. "It's such a strange thought though. If a dragon put a baby in you, it means they had to put so much more in you and you're so…small."

"And I'm a boy."

She shrugged her shoulders, a playful smile on her lips. "Well, if you say so. I've always been curious about the authenticity of that  _too_ now that you mention it." Hiccup swung his hand out, purposefully missing the girl who jumped out of the way, laughing loudly. "Thanks for helping me bring these canisters over. I didn't mean to keep you."

"No, thank you. I have to go see the quartermaster anyway." Hiccup tucked his hands to his side, stuffing them into the folds of his vest. The fur was rough along his fingers, an interesting sensory input. "I'll see you during the training." He grinned before making his way through the piers. Fishlegs was holding up charge of a merchant ship coming in from the south, yelling out orders for his shop. His bounce intensified when he saw Hiccup, waving a leaflet.

"I traded that knife set you made; we got silver for your work!" He grabbed Hiccup's hands, jumping around. "Do you know what we could make with that? Armor! Shields! We can finally fortify our defenses like a plus five shield." With a squat thrust, he tossed himself a few centimeters in the air. "The man wants another order of your knives. You're in business!"

"I need a bit of that silver, you know the deal." Hiccup held his hand out. Grinning when his oldest friend placed a small bag of silver in his hand. It wasn't much but he needed to melt it down and reform into his next best creation. It was going to be his first project as soon as he was more ready to work. "Just bring the rest of the silver to Gobber's shop. He has a series of swords for the next shipment. Fifteen percent like always." He nodded.

The blond grinned, running his big hand through Hiccup's hair. "I'll see you at the dragon training, right?"

"Of course, I'll see you there." Tucking the bag of silver into his belt loop, Hiccup started back up the docks, towards town. His eyes fell on the town healer's home, tempted to swing in and check up on his baby but he moved further into town, making his way to the dragon training yard, into the deep corridors to their prison.

From the distance, he could pick up the quick voices of the Terrors, arguing about who got to be first. There was an argument of their battle plan, how to surprise the little ones. Stepping into the main hall, Hiccup opened the cage, carefully stepping inside. Sven curled his tail around himself, settled in the corner while the Gronkles hid under his wing, talking in their own low voices. The Zippleback's nipped at each other, not even giving Hiccup a side glance as the stumbled over their feet, smashing into one of the cages.

Vidar grabbed Hiccup's arm. "You going to cheer us on?"

"Don't hurt anyone when you guys go out there. This is just fun and games." He rubbed the head of one o the Terrors, the one selected to be the first out on the field. "They only think they're big and bad but really, you can set their pants on fire and it'll really hurt. They're hatchlings."

The bulging eyes blinked. " _They shouldn't underestimate us_."

"One of them has a big nose." Hiccup brought his finger to his nose, pulling back suggestively.

Left head laughing, the Zippleback nudged its huge body against Hiccup. " _You're so bad. Are you sure you aren't a Nightmare?_ " He grinned. Sven grunted, turning his head away. Its right head chortled.

Hiccup was sure he was missing the inside joke, which wasn't uncommon with this group that forgot that no matter how good he was getting at their language, it was still a secondary language. Their forgetfulness made him feel at ease though, he was part of them and no an outsider.

" _How's the future prince?_ " Vidar rubbed his nose along Hiccup's belly.

" _Princess,_ " One of the Terrors retaliated, crawling around Hiccup to wrap itself around the expanded skin, blowing a soft heat around the skin. It was a common argument over the last few months.

All the dragons had decided what the baby should be and had done their best to make it so. Those that had dubbed the baby a girl kept his belly warm through the winter months, blowing warm air against his belly. Dragons like Vidar would knock the ones warming his belly over, keeping the skin nice and cool to produce another male.

A future prince, the next ruler.

" _Stupid, go and fight. I hope they stab you in your eye._ " Vidar pushed the Terror over, blowing fire at its surprised face. The call brought out the two to pair off, the Terror hissing in a low tone and snapping its jaw at the taller Nadder. Stepping back to avoid their mock fight, Hiccup settled on the ground with Sven, letting the tail drop on his lap.

"I'm trying to get Ragna into town for the birth. I could bring her down here…"

" _No_." Sven turned his head away. " _Please stop trying to fix my relationship and work on the ones in your life._ "

"I have been," Hiccup sighed. "My father and I are talking, he's looking out for the baby; he even found some of my old things. Been thinking a lot about mom throughout it too." It had been an interesting few months in his house. The distaste his father had once used to talk about the baby was disappearing to almost an excitement for their possible new member of the family. If he was even registering that the baby was going to be half-dragon, Hiccup didn't know. In fact, he never commented on it, not wanting to upset the balance that was in the family.

There were days he wished his baby would look more human than dragon, especially as it seemed more likely that Toothless wasn't coming back.

Sven shook his heavy head. " _She would not want to see me, not after what I've done._ "

There was a hooting whisper that brought all talk in the cell to a standstill. The selected Terror jumped near the gate, jumping around with obvious excitement. " _This is the first time,_ " Vidar grinned with all his teeth, " _That we haven't been caged up and selected at random._ "

Hiccup bit back his grimace. It was mostly the village belief that Hiccup was the Dragon Whisperer. If these beasts became out of control, it was almost a belief that Hiccup could wrangle them back into their cages. If he failed, his new  _friends_ would die. There was still a group that wanted nothing more than to kill the dragons anyway, to shed blood that was lost to them with the recent grace between the two species. "Just…be on your best behavior." He rubbed the top of the Terror's head. "Teach them not to underestimate your size."

The Terror jumped back. " _I'm bad! Too big for them!_ " He pushed his hips forward, falling on his front legs so he could scuttle faster. Hiccup followed close behind, hugging the wall so he could be hidden by the darkness. The Terror at his feet glanced up, excitement making his eyes dance as the gate opened, allowing him out. Leaning against the cool wall, Hiccup could only smile at the familiar coo of delight from the new students, not even scared of the tiny dragon.

It brought back a mixture of memories for him. At one time, that had been him. He'd been just as excited at the chance to become a warrior like his dad that he'd underestimated the dragons. Around the same time, he'd met Toothless who was nothing like the stories he'd been told.

One of the children ran past the gate, the seat of his trousers on fire.

Hiccup giggled into his hand.

" _They get faster every year._ "

Twisting his neck, Hiccup smiled at Vidar. "Yes but they try. Ah, look, they touched his tail." Hiccup chuckled as he watched the child be tripped up by the fast moving Terror, who climbed on his head, taunting another child.

"Get him! Get him!" One of the children yelled.

"No!" The one with the Terror screamed out, trying to flee the blunt weapon coming towards the top of his head.

Leaning up against the bars, Vidar grinned. " _Want to see something interesting?_ " Hiccup nodded. " _Give me something shiny._ " Hiccup reached into his side pouch, pulling out the silver. The Nadder's eyes glazed over for a fraction of a second before he raised his arm. The light of the fires lined along the walls of the corridor caught against the silver, reflecting into the training yard.

" _You think I'm tiny you little bastard! I'll show you tiny!_ " The Terror darted across the field before stopping along the an open crate, attention drawn to the trickle of light. His pupil thinned as he rushed towards the reflection, his claws extended to grab it. " _Ah hah! Got—what the-?_ " He opened his claws, looking around.

Pressed against the walls of the training hall, Vidar moved the piece of silver, catching the light again. Hiccup giggled into his palm as he watched the show, the arrogant Terror darted from side-to-side, focused on the flickering light and not the children chasing after him.

Shaking his head, Gobber held up his hand. Reaching up, Hiccup covered the silver, calling a stop to the show. "What the hell was that?" Gobber rushed over, startled the Terror. "Are we catching birds now?" He rubbed his temples, listening to the heckling of onlookers. "That's enough for today, back to work with all of you. Come on, pipsqueak, back to the cages."

Hiccup started back into the main cage, not wanting Gobber to find him in the hall. Beside him, Vidar chuckled into his wing, ignoring the Terror that fluttered past them in a wave of annoyance.

Leaning against the internal wall, Hiccup breathed deeply. "I need to sit down. This walking is killing me." The Terror that had walked pasted them froze, sniffing along the ground but Hiccup ignored him, moving into the cages to settle against the iron bars of the cells while Vidar told the Zippleback's of the joke he'd played on their friend. Instead of defending himself, however, the Terror settled on Hiccup's knee, staring up at him.

" _You smell…sweet._ " The Terror whispered.

"Thank you." Hiccup chuckled.

The Terror snuggled close along his belly, pressing the side of his head along his belly.

A groan escaped Hiccup as his stomach tightened, his baby kicking at his insides. Grabbing the dragon by the wings, Hiccup pushed the dragon away while spreading his legs out. All the dragons in the room quieted, turning to face Hiccup. One of the Nadders approached Hiccup next, placing her wing on his forehead before conferring with Vidar and the twin Zipplebacks.

" _Prince Njáll Hiccup, please may I see your stone?_ " She touched his legs, leaning forward.

Fingers tense, Hiccup tugged his mating stone from its safe spot under his shirt. It flickered with a shine, still beautiful but not nearly as bright as it had been a month before. Hiccup played with the necklace, a small smile on his face. "It's been fading all morning," He explained absently. "I think Toothless gave up on me." He tucked the necklace in his shirt again, only wincing as his belly tightened again. "It's not as painful as when the egg broke."

Vidar pushed the Nadder away, eyes wide. " _Have you seen the healer yet?_ "

"She's not exactly experienced with pregnant boys." Hiccup shrugged. "Says I'm maturing fast, thinks they'll have to cut me open to get the baby out but that is scaring dad because I might not come out of that. I just figured Toothle-ngh." He leaned forward, trying to relieve straighten on his insides. "I think I'm going to be sick." He grabbed his sides, trying to push himself to his feet.  _Chamber pot, chamber pot_ …

He only took two steps before his legs buckled, giving out under him.

Vidar caught him, mid-fall, pulling him against his chest.

" _Get guards!_ " Sven shouts, a roar echoing across the tiny cell. " _Someone get down here! Help!_ "

" _Help!_ " The dragons screech together, rattling the cages. Through blurry eyes, Hiccup could barely see Tuffnut stumbling downstairs, telling at him to keep his dragon's quiet. He couldn't even find the energy to speak as his old school friend summoned the guard that the dragons were trying to kill Hiccup.

* * *

Throughout the chaos of their prince's mate collapsing, Vidar felt like his heart would stop as Sven took control of the situation, telling the dragons to back off when the humans rushed down with their swords flailing. Pushed back by the lead dragon of their cell, Vidar tried to watch everything, mouth agape as the human was carried out to the healer.

"They won't know what to do," He whispered.

Sven growled. "He didn't smell of a about to hatch mother. He didn't smell like Unn."

"But she was a woman, nothing like Njáll Hiccup. His hips are so small and his opening…" He grumbled, not wanting to admit he'd been looking even after being told to step back, to wait until the human went looking for another mate. "It's so tiny," he continued, stalking the cage, glaring into the dark corridor leading to the surface, towards the village. "What if he dies?"

"The humans won't let anything happen to him. Trust their medicine. The magic growing the baby will protect him so long as he wears his mating band." Sven lowered his head, brushing it against one of the Gronckle's seeking comfort.

Taking a deep breath, Vidar brushed against the bars. "Get me out of here, Sven." Twisting, he approached the oldest dragon. "I have to protect him. I promised."

"Don't take off. We need you here." Sven raised himself, pushing all his weight into the bars. They jerked but didn't break. He hit them again, then again, and finally, the bars and ceiling tumbled around the aged dragon, which protected his charges with his heavy wing. "No games, Vidar."

"Yes, sir." Vidar hissed, throwing his body forward. His quick legs moved him up the stairs, past the guards at the training site gate. The blonde man jumped in shock, barely able to grab his weapon from its holster. Tossing himself into the sky, Vidar swept his long wings under him, propelling him towards Berk, a distance away from the training facility.

Had Hiccup been walking this far every day?

The midday fly felt good. This was the highest he'd ever been in so many years. It was almost tempting to fly around the mountains a few times, catch the wind and forget about his shackles. It was only the passing flash of Hiccup's face, etched with pain that drew him back into Berk, where the humans with weapons were.

Floating down towards the source of the smell, Vidar hid himself on the roof of a tall building, ducked low to blend into the environment. His eyes darkened as he watched the human party come in, carrying the form of his Prince. Hiccup was unconscious, laced with the sweet scent of anesthesia. From the building under him, a little old woman stepped out, waving them in.

Over time, people came and went, including the big human that had captured Vidar all those years ago. It wasn't until the high sun began to set that he heard the first cry of a baby, one with no decipherable language. He waited to hear about the human mother; head ducked low as he watched the people of Berk go about their day. Hunting teams disappeared into the woods, looking for him.

He growled into the night, hoping that the wind would pick up his message. It wasn't until the moon began to rise that he found his chance to sneak in. The healer left the house with the village leader, talking in low voices that his sharp ears couldn't pick up. He waited until the two disappeared, leaving the Berk Square open.

Jumping from the roof, Vidar transformed as he touched the ground, wincing only slightly at the crack of bone as his shape became almost human. In his life, he'd only taken this form a handful of times, due to this human. It wasn't something he'd been raised to accept in North. People who took this form were ridiculed.

The human house was warm and spacious. There was a long table stacked with books and papers, all which he ignored as he walked up the tiny flight of stairs to a levitated floor. The operating table was messy, with a thin coat of blood rotting into the already tainted wood. Sniffing the air, Vidar almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the whimper of a child, the distinctive smell of berries (Njáll Hiccup) and wood (he questioned if that was the scent of Njáll but he wasn't sure).

Stepping over a bundle of towels, Vidar tilted his head to the side as he saw the human.

Hiccup was settled under a pile of blankets, chest rising and falling with labored breathing. There was a light pink to his cheeks, an interesting trait in humans but open that currently addressed a sickly character. As he approached the bed, his attention was drawn to a basket near the bed, holding another form.

" _Vidar?_ " The human blinked his eyes open, wincing weakly.

"Is that Njáll Hatchling?" Vidar approached the crib, careful not to get to close. Females were vicious with their young.

" _Why are you here?_ " Hiccup murmured, turning his head away.

Approaching the bed, Vidar ran his fingers through wet bangs. "Wanted to make sure you and the baby were all right. We were scared." He brushed his knuckles over the warm skin.

Bringing his hand out from under the blankets, Hiccup brushed his own cheeks before dropping it against his barechest, where his necklace was settled. " _He didn't come._ "

"He probably doesn't know," Vidar reasoned.

" _We're supposed to have a connection. I called for him._ "

"I'll go get him." Vidar whispered, straightening his back. "He's probably too far away to hear you. Just don't…do anything stupid." Like die. The prince would have his knot if anything happened to the human, present or not. "Watch your baby."

Hiccup smiled, tilting his head to the side. The bundle in the blanket moved, twin dark wings spreading weakly out from under the blanket. Vidar breathed deeply, considering the half-dragon in the basket. " _He looks like Toothless._ " He smiled. " _May I hold him?_ " He held his arms out, readily for the bundle.

Taking that as enough permission to hold the hatchling, Vidar reached into the basket. The baby was so small, tinier than a Nadder hatchling (which suggested it was much smaller than a normal Night Fury), but he'd seen human babies and this was bigger than most. Soft scales, but not as smooth as human flesh, and beautiful horns. He made a note that between the two main whiskers on the baby Night Fury's face as a patch of dark hair.

"I've never seen a dragon with hair." He whispered, putting the baby in the human's hands. Immediately, he noticed the look of nervousness in Hiccup, the crashing of realization that other dragons would notice the differences in the baby, would call them out. "He's beautiful." The boy visibly relaxed. "I'm heading out."

" _Vidar?_

Turning, Vidar stepped up to the bed. "Yes?"

Settling the baby against his arm, Hiccup freed his dominant hand, grabbing the mating amulet from around his neck. Hard green eyes stared into the gem, watching in glisten in the night. " _Take this to Toothless. Let him know that the baby was born healthy._ "

A sense of hope rose in his belly but he didn't let it settle in his eyes. "And you're mating?"

" _Tell him… I'm still his mate but he'd better personally come and claim me again._ " Hiccup ran his finger over his son's small nose with a playful smile. " _If he really can't come back for my safety, he'll at least send you back to tell me then._ "

And the only way Njáll would see him for an audience was with that mating symbol. Taking it, he closed his hand around the stone and nodded, heavily. "I'll be back as soon as possible." He promised. A week a most, he reasoned if Njáll wasn't in Hadak he'd be in North.

He left Berk shortly after, taking towards Hadak as quickly as his wings would take him. Even at full speed, the trip took him until the sun was creasing the horizon, chasing off the night. In his life, he'd only been to Hadak one time. He had come with his older brothers when he was younger, to collect food for the queen. He hadn't particularly cared for it, considering it was populated by people in their between-form. It had felt too close to human. It was a slap in the face to all things dragon.

As Hadak formed in the distance, Vidar noted the distinctive difference between his last and only visit and this one. It was quiet, abandoned. In the past, Hadak had been a center of commerce. There was always someone in the sky, flying in and out. Now, it looked like a ghost town.

Landing in the castle gates, the Nadder glanced around the gardens, looking for a sign of it being inhabited. There was traces of a scent, of fire and soot similar to North. Vidar shuddered, stepping into the castle. The smell got strong, laced with the metallic coil of  _brother_. He growled low. Another Nadder was in the area, one from North.

Tensed up, he turned his attention to the wide pillars that opened into the audience chambers just as two Nadders stepped out of the winding halls leading to the eastern most tower.

"I smell a human," One growled, looping around him. "Are you a human fucker like the Queen's Stupid Heir?"

Vidar glared at nothing. "I want to see the Queen's Heir."

The second Nadder flicked it's tail at him, one of the sharp spikes slicing under his scales. "Some nobody like you?"

"I'm a citizen of North."

Laughing, the second dragon smacked Vidar again. "Smelling like a human fucker? You're a Hadak whore." He swatted Vidar again.

Wrapping around Vidar, the first dragon leaned forward, making a grab at the Berk Dragon's wing where Hiccup's mating amulet rested. "What have we here?" He pulled the piece of jewelry towards himself. His companion blocked Vidar's jerk to pull it back. Sniffing it, the first Nadder growled. "Human. Njáll."

"Shit, yeah?" The second Nadder approached. "We finally got him?"

"The human village," The companion breathed in the gem again. "Sleeping with the prince's mate instead of killing him? Genius or stupid?"

"Stupid." His friend grinned.

"Give me that back!" Vidar pushed on the second Nadder, trying to get to the first one. He grunted when he felt sharp claws dig into his abdomen, just under his ribcage. "I have to tell the Prince something important!"

The one holding Hiccup's mating amulet grinned, taking another sniff of the jewel. "That the human is still alive? Or the hatchling that smells of human and dragon?" He paused in thought. " I'll do it for you." He pushed back, towards one of the wide open windows. "Kill him."

Vidar's vision darkened as sharp teeth dug into the soft skin along the underside of his throat.

* * *

North was the epitome of all things dragon. It was a towering volcano surrounded by the cold snow all year. For the first time in four hundred years, it was crowded by populations from both Hadak and North, the way things were meant to be.

A sole Nadder flew into the mountain, gliding inches above the rugged rock until he entered the wide opening of the inner channels. In the center of the fiery pit, his Queen piled in her large dragon form. Multi-eyes turned to him from the sole figures on a waiting pillar, permitting the Nadder into the room.

"My Queen." The Nadder came to a stop next to the prince. He offered only the smuggest of grins at his future leader as he stepped before the Queen, seizing the right to speak. "We found the human."

Njáll tensed but King Gronky didn't budge from his spot.

" **Where?** " The Queen's voice echoed across the small volcano.

"Permission to speak with the Prince?" He waited for the growl of permission before turning to the Night Fury. "My Lord Njáll, I regret to inform you that your mate is dead."

"You bastard!" Njáll hissed. "What did you do to him?"

The Nadder forced on a shamed look. "We did nothing, my Prince." He dipped the amulet out, ignoring the growl from the Queen. "He gave birth to the hatchling and the humans killed both. This is all that remains of your mate." The piece of jewelry was tossed between the two of them, forgotten on the ground. "Why did you send him to Berk, King?" The Nadder turned his attention to Gronky.

Gronky turned to Njáll. "Don't believe him! You've been in Berk before; those humans would never do something like this."

Reaching to touch the necklace, Njáll remained silent. Eyes darkening, he transformed into his full dragon form, flying through the den with a mighty roar.

"Njáll!" Gronky turned, transforming himself to rush after the dragon. His tiny wings, worn with age, didn't aid in speed.

He never saw the Queen lunging towards him, swallowing him whole.


	13. Chapter 13

Magic was an unusual concept for the healer who had informed him the month leading to his pregnancy that he wouldn't make it through the surgery. Two days after the baby was born, he was up and moving as the faint warmth of magic shifting along his incision, healing the skin almost overnight. Even Ragna had been fascinated with the magic's healing as the last bit left Hiccup without a trace of the abnormal pregnancy.

"I am not surprised the dragons have mastered such a skill," Said the aged half-dragon as she walked with Hiccup through the woods, towards to dragon training grounds. "They had to repopulate after the Human-Dragon War, obviously they would have found a way to keep numbers up if females weren't available. The fact that you're also already moving around is perhaps a trait of the magic."

Arms wrapped securely under the weight of his baby, firmly holding the child within the confines of the sling nestled around his shoulders, Hiccup shrugged absently. "They seem to be more okay with unions between same-sex couples, so they probably had to fully train this magic. I mean, their city  _floats_. I'm sure they know what they're doing." A grin settled on his face, glancing down at his little one nestled against his chest, fast asleep. "I'm just glad to be here with Thorn." He rubbed his fingers down the baby's sleeping face, along the soft horns on his cheeks that folded with the lightest of touches. Thorn's fists clenched, instinctively, in response.

"Is your father all right with the baby?"

Hiccup lowered his gaze. "He bought me this sling to hide the baby."

"Oh."

Stoick was trying; there was no question to that. He'd been with Hiccup the minute Thorn was born while fighting back the talk that happened when Hiccup carried his hidden baby back home, on almost a walk of shame. His only rule was that people could talk all they wanted but that would die down. It would never leave them if Hiccup flaunted his baby's features before the people.

They wouldn't understand that Thorn was just like them. Hiding the baby was the best protection they could afford until Thorn could fly back to Hadak, to live peacefully among other dragons.

Hiccup didn't want to voice that it was unlikely that Thorn would be accepted easily. Beautiful night colored skin, as soft as human flesh, stretched from head to toe on the baby, slightly bigger than a typical human child. While he had beautiful dark wings, hanging loosely against his baby like most baby dragon's wings did as far as Hiccup had seen, he lacked a tail. Hiccup had witnessed enough flight while in Hadak to know that could affect his child's overall flying ability.

Thorn was a different all together. His long narrow feet spread to three defined toes possessing claws. His hands contained five digits, each one possessing a thin claw still hardening with each passing second. His torso was very much humans, with no armor shelling like a dragon, from neck to legs. Hiccup wondered if such things would come as he aged but the baby dragons Hiccup had seen had been born with the basic shelling around flat chest and private areas. Thorn had neither, his definite maleness hanging as a human's would and his chest contained tiny discolored nipples. The only thing off that Hiccup had noticed was the lack of belly button.

Bringing his arms around the baby, Hiccup gave him the smallest of hugs without actually waking the infant. He had the cutest baby ever, not that he was biased.

"I'm not going into the cages." Ragna commented absently.

Pausing in his steps, Hiccup repositioned the sling over his baby while his eyes searched Ragna's resolve. "I'd like it if you did."

" _He's_  there." The female dragon hissed.

"Of course Sven is, he is the one that made me promise to bring Thorn over as soon as he was born. You don't have to go in but I'd think it would be nice if Thorn could see actual family as he grows up in Berk. Besides, I don't think Sven's as healthy as he claims. I give him a few more years, if that." He didn't want to admit that truth but it was there, every month the dragon seemed to grow weaker and weaker.

Ragna scowled. "Lying to me about such isn't going to make me wish to see him."

"I'll tell him you said 'hi' then." Hiccup stepped out of the wood line, approaching the wide entrance to the training hall. Tuffnut gave him a once over, full of confusion and contempt all at once before waving his arm in admission. It was easy to ignore the eyes that followed him into the darkness, the voices that carried over when they believed Hiccup was out of hearing range.

"I heard that it was a monster, mouth filled with teeth and eyes that bleed red."

"The Chief is fucking out of his mind if he thinks anyone believes that Hiccup gave birth to a real baby. I bet he's ashamed of his dragon grandson."

"I'm surprised it's still alive. Doesn't that family have any taste? If Stoick wasn't such a strong leader, I bet Hiccup and his abomination wouldn't be alive."

"The longer Hiccup plays mother to that thing, the harder it's going to be to get rid of it."

"He's so weak…"

Clenching his eyes shut, Hiccup patted his son's covered bottom, his hand firmly on the child's back as he descended each stair and into the open hall of the dragon cages. The large cell was in the process of being repaired, which forced each dragon into their individual cages that were too small for their large frames. The terrors noticed him first, bouncing around their tight cages to get closer but the gap between bars was too small to get through.

" _It's a prince! It's a prince!_ "

Sven glanced over his shoulder, his bleary eyes dull. " _Is he healthy?_ "

Opening up his sling, Hiccup eased his son out, into the open air. Thorn gave a soft cry in his sleep, seeking the comfort of Hiccup's heart beat before whimpering softly, barely turning his head as his eyes closed again. "He seems it to me," Hiccup admitted. "The healer thinks there's going to be a lot wrong with him though because he's not fully human." Stepping closer to the cages, Hiccup held Thorn out, letting the warm breath of Sven blanket over his child. Thorn's eyes peeled open reluctantly again, meeting with the thick snout of the Nightmare but if he saw anything of value he gave no indication.

" _Vidar's already touched the baby! I smell that jackass all over him!_ " The right head of the Zippleback cried out. " _I wanted to hold the baby after the father!_ "

The left head turned, his eyes widening. " _I don't think Lord Njáll has even touched the baby yet._ "

" _That bastard! You have to tell him he's not your mate, fight him to the death!_ " The right head turned to Hiccup, too much joy in his face at even the thought. " _Where is Vidar anyway?_ "

Hiccup frowned. "You haven't heard from him yet?" He mostly asked Sven.

Sven rolled his eyes. " _We broke the cage so he could check on you, that was a few days ago when the humans took you from us. Haven't heard a growl from him since. To be expected, as it were. He's probably up in Hadak, making outrageous stories about his battles with the humans to make up for his long absence._ "

"How long does it take to get to North? From here, I mean."

The old Nightmare frowned heavily. " _Depends on how fast you're flying. A stupid dragon would use all his power to get here from there within a day flight, if that. Most stop in Hadak and take a night to regain their strength before continuing. That is usually the same when leaving Berk to North, it reserves energy. Usually, it would between three days to a week if he takes the appropriate stops._

"I sent him to get Toothless, to tell him about the baby."

The room fell silent, every eye on Hiccup. Sven sighed. " _If he's not being treacherous and using the long delay to make you break off your mating so he can step in, he'd delay all stops unless it's important. For instance, he might swing into Hadak to inform King that you've had the baby. That is, of course, if he doesn't use this as an end to his own means._ "

Hiccup shifted Thorn in his arms, keeping a firm hand on the back of the baby's neck. "I don't think he'd do that."

" _He's stepped into mate territory with you on multiple occasions,_ " Said the right Zippleback head. " _It's hard to say anymore what he'd do. He could be in North now or he could be buying time to bring you bad news._ "

"I trust him." Hiccup hissed. "He is going to Toothless. Toothless will be here with Vidar." Because Hiccup believed in both of them. Vidar was an honorable dragon, wanting to honestly win Hiccup's affection even if they never became 'mates'. "Anyway," Hiccup exhaled sharply, "I brought Ragna with me but she refused to come in. Anything you want me to tell her?"

The old Nightmare grumbled, making an effort to turn on his side as he always did when Ragna's name was brought up. " _Refused to come see me, I believe you're trying to say._ "

"You haven't exactly made an attempt to communicate with her."

" _And I am to believe that you talk with your father?_ " Sven growled.

Hiccup curled his toes, bouncing his child. "If you'd asked me that before last summer, I would have agreed that I didn't want to talk to my father but we're trying now. We don't always agree but we're no longer just co-existing. He's making a huge effort to stand by Thorn, the least I can do is respect his faults in doing so. He let me give birth to Thorn, which is more than he wanted to do back at the beginning of the year. I figure if he keeps holding Thorn, by the end of this year he'll want another half-dragon grandson." Not that he was thinking about any more children, no matter how much pleasure that came from just holding his little one. "I do know that I could never imagine never speaking with Thorn again. Even if I was entirely wrong, I'd want to see him before anything happened to me."

The silence that fell between them was deafening. Hiccup wanted to break down and apologize for even thinking he could solve the problems between Sven and Ragna. By no means were they like him and Stoick or even Thorn. They had decades to fan flames, encouraging the hate between the two.

He hadn't expected Sven to speak. " _Tell her I know I wronged both she and her mother. When we were forced out of Hadak, I should have taken them to a new island without humans or dragons, just the three of us, instead of abandoning them to go back to Berk. Tell her I deserve her hate but I only wanted to give her everything, even if that everything didn't want her._ "

"I'll tell her that." Hiccup smiled. True it might not fix anything but it was better than nothing at all.

" _Before you go, may I see Njáll Hatchling._ " Sven curled his wing.

Smiling, Hiccup approached the cage, pushing Thorn towards Sven. The dragon's nose brushed along the baby's hair, waking Thorn. Green eyes, still unfocused, stared straight up before his mouth opened widely in a yawn.

" _Boil some lavender flowers into his bathwater, it should mask the scent of another male on him until the scent decreases, replaced by his natural hybrid scent of you and your mate. Shouldn't take longer than three days to wash away, just around the time you should expect Lord Njáll._ " There was an unspoken comment that hung heavily in the air, the  _if_  Toothless did come. Hiccup was holding his breath, fingers and toes crossed.

Toothless was his mate. Hiccup had sent the only incentive he could think of for Toothless to come back: come back or they were finished.

He kind of regretted it now, looking at the Sven and Ragna situation. He didn't want Thorn to ever hate his daddy for not being there.

Almost as if he heard Hiccup's thoughts, Sven whispered, " _Let us hope he comes back before the end of the month, when Hatchling Thorn begins seeing the world around him. If he doesn't imprint on his sire, he'll see Lord Njáll as any other dragon and not someone to listen to._ "

"And if I don't mask Vidar's scent?"

The Zippleback's right head grumbled. " _As far as the hatchling is concerned, the only other scent besides his mother he first imprinted on was that no good Nadder's._ "

"I just asked him to bring me Thorn," Hiccup explained. "I didn't think it would matter. Don't the healers touch the hatchlings after they're laid?"

" _Usually the sire and mother are together after. Healers must be clean completely before handling another dragon's hatchlings, especially in those early months. You are not expected to know that as a human you obviously let any person manhandle your hatchling. Your mate should have been here to tell you what to do, to explain how we work instead of wherever he is._ "

Left head nodding, the Zippleback maneuvered itself to completely face Hiccup. " _If Vidar is an honorable dragon and does bring your mate here, you have the power to tell him straight. He should never use you like this._ "

Toothless using him?

" _There are no secrets between mates. Speak the same language or no, you promised to love…_ "

Hiccup loved Toothless more than anything in the world but sometimes that feeling faltered under the pressure of being forced to birth and raise a half-human, half-dragon child on his own.

" _…Protect…_ "

From what he knew, those final minutes in Hadak, Toothless had done everything in his power to protect Hiccup, going so far as to lie to the queen about Hiccup. Apparently he had claimed that he'd killed the human, fattened the boy up and ate him. He had bided them time to get Hiccup out of the castle, back to Berk before the queen's troops raided Hadak.

" _…And cherish._ "

These days Hiccup didn't feel cherished. Used and pushed aside, most days. Those handfuls of passionate love, under the bright stars or under the blankets, were easily forgotten within seconds as the warm touch grew cold. There was a chance that Toothless would come back to gather up him and the baby but would he still cherish what Hiccup had become? He was so _fat_ , his stomach flabby with baby weight, his undefined chest painful and swollen.

One of the Gronckles snorted lowly. " _Do not listen to them, Njáll Hiccup. I am positive that when the prince made his promise before the gods, he was honest to you. He will be here as soon as he can, you must believe in him._ "

Readjusting his sling, Hiccup maneuvered Thorn into the material, letting the five dark fingers curl around his own pale hand for a brief second. "I promised dad I wouldn't be out too long, just wanted to introduce the newest addition to the family."

Two of the female Nadders cooed in delight, the word family dropping from their lips. One of the Gronckles grunted lowly, " _Talk about an all-time low, The Dragon Tribe of Berk, they'll call us. Ran by the legendary crown prince Njáll Hiccup. Or would it be simply Prince Hiccup and his missing mate Hiccup Njáll?_ "

Hiccup joined the chortle of laughter that followed.

When he stepped out into the woods, Ragna had already left, making Hiccup walk back to the village on his own. He spent the rest of the day settled in his mother's old rocker, enjoying the fading spring while overlooking the northern distance, looking for any sign of a dragon. Stoick joined him for the sunset, continuing his discussion about the current trade relations with villages in the south.

There was still no sign of Toothless on the third day. Bundling up Thorn, Hiccup carried his son down to the pond that he'd met Toothless at, seven years before. Swing unwrapped as a blanket, Hiccup settled his baby out in the sun before laying out under the sun.

Toothless would find him here.

On the ground, Thorn made empty suckling motions, head rolled back. His fat arms jerked as his legs curled into himself. Putting his hand on the baby's chest, Hiccup placed his other hand in his son's hand, watching the five digits curl instinctively around his fingers. Curled around his son, he let his eyes shut and a nap lure over him while Thorn jerked against him, enjoying the weather and company.

His eyes snapped open when Thorn started crying, face screwed into an unfamiliar curl as a butterfly remained positioned on the tip of his nose. Brushing the insect with the flick of his fingers, Hiccup brushed his own nose against his son's. Thorn's crying stilled, eyes wide. "Daddy made it all safe." He flicked his eye lashes over the child's soft nose before pulling back when he heard the shifting of trees above them. Instinctively, Hiccup pulled back, looking for the flicker of dark scales.

"Toothless?" He tried, gazing from tree to tree.

A terror fell from the trees, landing on its side with a loud snap. It hissed loudly, slipping into the woods. Tilting his head to the side, Hiccup picked up Thorn and the swing, wrapping Thorn securely in it. Instead of climbing the ridges out of the gorge, Hiccup had to take the long route back to the village that added an extra hour to his walk. On his way, he noted seven Terrors that had been weakly making their way through the forest, too tired to even notice him.

The village was filled with a wave of nervous excitement when he stepped out of the woods. Gobber's shop was open wide, the array of weapons were being handed out to eager warriors talking about the big battle sure to come up. At the window, monitoring the distribution of weapons, Stoick frowned when he saw Hiccup.

Waving his big hand, Stoick called Hiccup over, sliding his own large form into the shadows of the smithy. "The northern most lookout sent out an alert that was received an hour ago, three hours too late. There has been a sudden influx of Terrors along the mountain range. Two dozen Gronckles were spotted along the eastern part of the island, resting. The alert talked about an influx of other dragons – Nightmares, Nadders, and Zipplebacks – coming in waves."

"So we're preparing for an attack?"

"There's no doubt that this is the big attack we've been waiting for." Stoick frowned. "I want you to stay out of sight during this."

"I can make weapons." Hiccup shifted Thorn's weight.

"You can't have a baby at the smithy."

"I can have Astrid watch—"

"No!" Stoick put his hand against the wooden frame. "Boy, people are talking, more than just the baby. The timing, with Thorn's birth and this attack is too close."

Hiccup swallowed. "So I should be supporting our village by making them weapons."

"They wouldn't use them. The talk is that your purpose was to weaken our defenses. No one at this moment wants the weapon surplus you privately made, they're afraid of the sturdiness of it. At the same time, what if this is because of the baby? You've given birth, what's to say that these creatures aren't back for you and Thorn? They've dangled you back in our grasp only to rip you away again."

"Dad, this is something else entirely, I know it."  _It had to be Toothless but why so many dragons?_  Hiccup shifted Thorn in his sling. "Please, let me help."

"Just stay in the shelter when the horn is blown. We don't know when the attack will be but I want you to lie low."

"Check on Ragna, dad, she'll know what's going on." Hiccup reasoned. "Please?"

"Fine," Stoick nodded but Hiccup could tell he wasn't going to. Lips pressed together, Hiccup started back up the hill towards his father's home to grab a few things to satisfy Thorn's needs.

The horn sounded in the middle of the night, when Hiccup had finally settled Thorn into a deep sleep. Gobber came for both him and his father, announcing that the first wave of attacks had knocked out the docks. "They're stranding us," Gobber grumbled as he led Stoick out the door, "I hear there's been an attack on the farm lands as well. The chicken coops have been burnt down. We have four chickens left; they've been moved to the safe zone."

"They're attacking our resources." Stoick growled. "Hiccup, go to the shelter."

"No."

"Hiccup!" Stoick put his arms on Hiccup's, unintentionally squeezing a bit too hard. Hiccup fought back the flinch, meeting his father's with open rage. "Don't look at me like that; this is for your own good." His big hand moved to Hiccup's mouth, covering any remark back. "Please, for me and Thorn."

_Not fair – don't bring up Thorn._  Hiccup glared past his father's meaty fingers, pulling back. "Can't I go into the dragon cages instead? If they are after me, at least it'll be outside of Berk."

"The underground zone. I will walk you there." Stoick's hand moved to the boy's back, nudging him towards the corner filled with Thorn's baby things. "Gobber, handle to shop, I'll met up with you in ten minutes!" He moved around the small kitchen, grabbing Thorn from his crib after Gobber slammed the front door shut. "Hiccup, I need you to stay there. No matter what, do not come out. If you want to prove to me you're a member of Berk, now is your chance. Listen to your leader, Hiccup. Now let's go."

As Hiccup was lead out the door, he couldn't help but focus up at the night sky, contemplating the feeling of unease that grew in the pit of his stomach.

Something big was about to happen, there was no way he could hide from it any longer.

* * *

"So you've finally come to take us back, Toothless."

The anger in the dragon seemed to dissipate in the thin air. His low wings raised up, knocking into the wooden frame of the pillar around him as Toothless sniffed the air, trying to understand what was going around him. " _You're…still alive?_ "

"Why wouldn't I be alive?" Hiccup stepped closer. His mate's face faulted with the realization that Hiccup understood him, for the first time since theyre original mating almost a year before. They were finally on the same ground, as far as Hiccup was concerned.  _I have a right to understand everything goin on in that head of yours, just let me in._  "Toothless, what is going on here. Tell me."

" _They told me that the humans killed you and the hatchling._ " Toothless swallowed. " _They brought your Birthing Stone back, you wouldn't have removed this, I know you wouldn't have. Not on your own free will._ " In his right, front paw Hiccup noticed his birthing stone, wrapped around the dragon's ankle.

Hiccup swallowed. "I did remove it, Toothless. What happened to the dragon that was supposed to give you the message of why?" He emphasized the last word, finding his own heart dropping. He didn't think Vidar would ever make lies about Hiccup and the baby being dead, especially since there was a  _they_  instead of  _a Nadder_. "What did you do, Toothless?"

" _I…_ " Toothless paused, swallowing. " _They tricked me…_ " His eyes widened as he took a step back. " _How dare they trick me!_ " The dragon screeched, his voice echoing into the night. Around them, the fighting stopped, leaving on the screams of human pain in its wake. In his arms, Thorn started to cry loudly. " _I'll fix this._ "

"Toothless, don't leave me."

" _I'm going to fix this Hiccup – for us._ "

"Damn it! Don't leave us again, Toothless!" Hiccup screeched over his son's crying.

The Night Fury's body shifted in the air, his big wings spanned out. " _I'm going to fix this. I'll make you want to be my mate again._ "

"Toothless!"

With another screech, Toothless rocketed into the heavens, his wings beating past the wind with the roar of flight. Around them, dragons began to pick up their own heavy bodies, following at close range behind their leader with their newest order,  _Kill the queen!_

Throwing his weight into the stairs, Hiccup climbed up the pillars of the lookout, trying to reach the highest tier. Pressed against the wooden post, Hiccup held Thorn close to his chest as he screamed out into the night for Toothless to come back.


	14. Chapter 14

Thorn's cries were picked up in the wind, carried to the far ends of the land, attracting the attention of the remaining dragons in Berk. Whether the creatures had followed Hiccup out of the village, Hiccup didn't know. All he could think was how he had to catch up with Toothless, no longer visible from even the highest of ranges. Above him, he could hear the rustling of tree branches, which made him clutch his baby closer out of nervousness.   
  
It didn't matter where those dragons came from, all he knew was that a group of dragons came with Toothless and handfuls remained after the night fury had flown off. He wished for a weapon, to defend himself but not with the baby, not even a week old. Attempting to pacify the child, Hiccup's green eyes focused on the furthest branches, where the rustling was focused on a low branch.  
  
A Nadder dropped to the ground, its wings held back with a low hiss towards him. Strong jaws snapped near his arms. Surging back, Hiccup kept the child away. " _\--Spoiled everything!_ " The Nadder shouted. " _I can't be a complete liar, now, can I_?"  
  
Behind him, another heavy weight dropped to the ground. Fixing his gaze behind him, Hiccup stepped to the side to avoid another powerful set of Nadder jaws. " _Bitch just can't let things be. Demons -- the lot of them._ " Between the two, they stalked around Hiccup, leaving no room for escape.  
  
" _Get away from him!_ " A burst of flames surrounded the Nadder. His once grand wings crinkled and burned, leaving a smell of rot in its wake. The Nadder screamed and rolled, the narrow bones snapped as pushed his form into the dirt.   
  
From the trees, a Gronckle dropped to the ground. The lines under his thick cheeks were a familiar characteristic of one of the dragons living in the Berk training dungeons. Two other Gronckles and a flow of terrors rushed out of the foliage, knocking the other Nadder over as they descended on the injured Nadder. Carnage was the other thing to describe the act that began: the ripping of flesh, the soundless cries that disappeared into nothingness.  
  
The other Nadder stepped back, terror written across his face as he watched his friends back.  
  
Keeping Thorn close to his chest, Hiccup stepped back, keeping a distance between the final Nadder and the vicious group of little dragons. His back pressed against the warm underbelly of an even bigger dragon. Two twin heads draped over his shoulder, low growls ripping from their belly as a familiar, acidic smell soiled the air. " _One move near the prince, and we will kill you._ " The Zippleback growled.  
  
Hissing, the Nadder pulled his body close to the ground before propelling himself into the air. He didn't make it far before a large body knocked him back to the earth. The creature landed on its belly, leaving a gash in the ground in his wake. Sven lowered to the ground, his heavy wings flattening against his back, covering the calm form of Ragna.  
  
" _I demand to know what North is doing._ " Sven growled.  
  
" _The time of reckoning has come! We will purge this world of the demons called 'humans' and make it a world for real dragons to shine once more!_ " The Nadder hissed. " _The queen will wreck this world to make it one our ancestors can be proud of before the humans ruined us!_ "  
  
"Toothless said," Hiccup started, swallowed, and tried again, "Toothless said that someone had told him that I had been killed by my people. Both me and my baby."   
  
The Nadder gave him  _a look_ , one he'd seen a lot in Hadak when he used the name he'd given his mate years before. Truth be told, Hiccup had some sick pleasure using a name that seemed so disrespectful for the believed prince. Toothless, Prince Njáll, next in line for the throne. Second only to Gronky.   
  
Where was Gronky in all this? He never would have allowed Toothless to lead an attack against the humans. Dragons were ruled by the person who was stronger than them. The Queen, Gronky, then Toothless.   
  
"Where is Gronky?" He demanded.  
  
A low hiss from the Nadder followed. Sven shifted, placing more weight on the dragon's tail. " _-Dead!_ " He screamed, face contorted with pain.   
  
His belly dropped.  _No. He's lied before and he's lying about this._  Sven pressed more weight into the Nadder.   
  
When the weight finally let up, the Nadder continued, breathless from punctured lung. " _The Prince was being led astray by those Human Lovers. When my mate smelled the human in those old ruins, we knew that Lord Njáll had strayed. 'I'm fattening up to eat him,' he lied to us! His own people! I told the queen that it was true that the prince was keeping a human but promised her he was going to fatten it up and eat. Fatten you up -- the liar. He knocked you up, made a mate. A fool like him cannot lead us to the new world. I am the heir after Njáll in North. I will lead my people to the proper-ack!_ " He clawed the ground, another rib cracked.  
  
"If Hadak and North join, Mimae is next in line."  
  
" _Bitches can be easily tamed._ " He growled. " _Just as I tamed Njáll._ ”  
  
Everything his father had taught him came roaring through his head just then. This was a loyalist to a degree; a usurping loyalist. “What did you do to Vidar?” It was a hunch but he had a feeling that this was the dragon that had shown Toothless the birthing stone, the one that drove the dragon into rage, enough to destroy humans. No, Hiccup realized, rather suddenly. This wasn’t an attack just to kill humans. Toothless was ready to die, at the hands of humans.  
  
The rage in the Nadder’s eyes said it all. He’d killed Vidar, another peg in his plan to fix things. “Sven.” Hiccup nodded. Without blinking, the oldest dragon placed his final weight down, killing the smaller dragon with sheer force. “I need to go to North.” Hiccup craned his neck, staring into the dragon’s eyes.  
  
Sliding from her father’s back, Ragna fixed her skirts before offering her hands to take Thorn. Hiccup allowed it, placing a single kiss on the whimpering child’s nose. “Will you tell us what is going on?”  
  
“War.” Hiccup grimaced. “Being led by my mate." Hiccup turned to Sven. "Please bring me to him."  
  
" _I'll fly you out as far as I can. Daughter,_ " The aging Nightmare turned to his offspring, " _The other dragons will stay with you. Do not leave your cavern._ "  
  
A scowl crossed Ragna's face, her weak wings opening as she shifted around the baby in her arms. "Human..." She turned her attention to Hiccup. "Please think this through. Lord Njáll is not going into a favorable situation. He just flew out here and turned around. He's going with rage in his heart against a dragon whose word he is instinctively set to listen to."  
  
Sven nodded. " _If she orders him to kill you -- he might. If she lets him live. You saw what our people can do when ordered,_ " he nodded towards the carnage caused by the Terrors and Gronckles.   
  
"I...I don't care." Hiccup straightened the blanket around Thorn one last time. It almost stopped him from leaving. "Let's go." he whispered, mounting Sven. "Keep Thorn safe from the remaining dragons." He fastened his hands around a hardened horn. "This isn't a world he needs to be brought up in. I swear, I will fix this."  
  
Ragna's grip tightened protectively. "Do you really think one  _human_ ," she emphasized the word with an uncertain glance over the brunette, "Can change a war four hundred years in?"  
  
Sven's huge wing span, coming down with enough force to disturb the dirt under him and raise his heavy body a good distance from the ground, made Hiccup's voice waiver with the sheet of wind. "I don't know but it started with a Night Fury and a human and it's going to end with one. Let's go!"  
  
They shot out of Berk like Thor's lightening across the sky. Contrary to his age, Sven was still a fast dragon. Not as fast as a Night Fury with intent, he explained, but his heavier form gave more distance when he really applied himself. Even though it had been years since his first free-flight, it was not lost to him how to soar faster than the remaining dragons trying to follow their leader back to North.   
  
" _I was surprised to see Ragna during the battle._ " Sven supplied on their trip. " _We were not sure what was happening beyond those walls but Ragna came down and released us. She'd encountered the Terrors a day ago but they weren't making much sense as to why they were suddenly in Berk. She finally paired to attack too late. Scared for you, she came and freed us to stop the battle before it was too late. While the attack may have already happened, I feel we still made it in time._ "  
  
"I thank you with the bottom of my heart. Both mine and Thorn's." Hiccup burrowed his face into the dragon's horns.  
  
They arrived in Hadak an hour before they believed twelve hour mark, only to discover the beautiful city deserted. Years of schooling made Hiccup take control of the situation, telling the tired Sven to lower carefully to one of the outer walls of the main palace. It could be a siege, he warned, preparing for the worst.   
  
It wasn't, however. Just as the gardens had been, inside the palace was devoid of life. No longer afraid of something that would attack from his very walls, Hiccup left the watchful side of Sven, looking around for any indicator that Toothless had at least stopped to wait. He could continue moving but Sven needed a break, at least enough to get a nap in. Waiting was only going to make him antsier, not knowing what was happening to his mate.  
  
Out on the eastern gardens, where he'd taken Toothless' had forever ago, agreeing to be part of this mess as the dragons mate; he found the messy remains of a dragon. It was hard to tell at first, decay and destruction were rampant on the remains, but that had been Vidar. "Sven!" Hiccup shouted back towards the palace.  
  
Stepping out of the wide columns, Sven took a closer look at what Hiccup had crouched at. He inhaled sharply. " _You knew to expect this._ "  
  
Expecting and seeing were two very different concepts, Hiccup wanted to point out as he juggled his own revolting stomach.  
  
" _I will give him the proper burial._ " Sven supplied, brushing past Hiccup to settle beside what was left of his cell companion. Standing back, watching with rapt attention as Sven carried the remains down to Old Berk. Around him, the remains of Hadak were eerily quiet, awaiting the presence of a ghost. Eyes wide, Hiccup looked around his environment, taking in every iota of detail he could.  
  
The citizens of Hadak had abandoned the place. On the western tower, on a floating pillar lower than the castle's location, was clothing, set out to dry in the sun. A bird peeked out of the layer of fabric, taking off to the east with an innocent gloat around its new home.   
  
A crash from deep within the castle startled Hiccup from his thoughts. Stiffened, he placed a foot behind him, not sure what he would do if it was one of the dragons from North. Jump to his death? It was a more honorable death than being ripped apart, to be found by Toothless (if the stupid dragon survived his own fight).   
  
He wasn't prepared for the humanoid that stepped out from the fine castle. A medium sized Nadder of beauty that was comparative to Astrid, Mimae's blue scales seemed to darken when she saw him, her long arms pulled back with her wings to fight. " _Are you friend or foe?_  She demanded.  
  
Hiccup stepped closer. "Was Toothless here?"  
  
" _My gods! Njáll Hiccup! They gods have returned you to us?_  The Nadder rushed forward, her big hands wrapping around Hiccup's biceps. She gave him a once over before pulling him into her sturdy form. " _I thought we had lost another king in such a short time when he started talking about his dead mate and baby. I've seen it before, a man who finds no restitution in killing his enemy, turning on his friends. He forgets that the power he has over his people ends in North._ " She kissed Hiccup's forehead, inhaling his scent heavily. " _Tell me, where is Njáll Hatchling?_ "  
  
"Thorn's back in Berk. I didn't want to bring him into North." Hiccup rubbed his eyes, pushing back the pain and frustration. "What do you mean 'lost another king'?"  
  
Mimae put distance between them. " _King,_ " She growled low, Gronky's formal name that Hiccup couldn't pretend to understand, " _died a week ago. Put to death for treason against our kind. He housed a human, allowed one of our own to mate, and is being accused to having started this entire war. I tried to soothe things over but most of our people had followed Njáll when he called for war against the humans. The Queen's voice summoned the remaining parties. I came here to heal travelers."_  
  
" _Njáll Hiccup, I've--Get away from him!_ " Sven, in human form, grabbed Hiccup's arm, pulling him back. Mimae didn't even blink at the aged dragon's behavior." _Back away from us!_ "  
  
"It's alright, Sven. This is Mimae, next in line for the Hadak throne."  
  
" _Where is Gronky?_ " Sven never let his attention leave the leader he'd never met.   
  
Hiccup swallowed the lump in his throat. "Dead."  
  
Exhaling sharply, Sven made a grab towards Mimae but Hiccup grabbed his claw, his arms wrapped around the strong wrist. " _How do you know she didn't have anything to do with it?_ "  
  
"Did you do anything to Gronky, Mimae?"  
  
" _Of course not!_ " The female huffed with annoyance.   
  
"There, see? Nothing." Hiccup let go of Sven's arm only when it loosened under his fingers. Rubbing his messy head, Hiccup closed his eyes. "Mimae, I need to follow Toothless."  
  
Frown marring her beautiful face, Mimae crossed her arms, her thin wings rubbing against her hip. " _How do you expect to do that? Have you learned how to fly while with the humans?_ "  
  
"Take me." Hiccup breathed. Sven cursed under his breath, positioning himself between the two. Hiccup pointedly ignored him. "Toothless can't be to far ahead of us. I'm going to stop him."  
  
" _The queen will not let you walk between her and Toothless alive. If she ordered Toothless to kill you..._ "'  
  
He had this discussion with Gronky before. There had been a darkness in the air that day about instincts need to listen and whether Toothless would deny the queen if ordered to kill Hiccup. To that day, Hiccup didn't want to think of the truth: that the queen's voice would override the love Toothless had for his human. These days it looked more so like that.   
  
"Don't care," Hiccup grunted stubbornly. "Take me. Please, Mimae. Sven won't be able to fly out for a few more hours and I can't let anymore distance be put between Toothless and me."  
  
Mimae appeared to be antagonizing over the thought. " _The queen won't stop at just you._ "  
  
"Then we have to stop her first." Hiccup breathed. "Please, Mimae."  
  
The heir of Hadak breathed out. " _Very well. Only because I worry of the safety of my people._ " She morphed with the crack of her bones, shifting into a majestic dragon just slightly bigger than most Nadders. Not even looking up at Sven, Hiccup approached Mimae before pausing. " _Njáll Hiccup?_ " Mimae inquired.  
  
"Give me a second," murmured the human, changing direction to go into the palace. He returned within minutes, an object wrapped to his back. "Let's go." He climbed on Mimae's back, carefully avoiding her powerful wings.  
  
Mimae made a small series of growls, a low level of speaking that Hiccup couldn't translate. Straightening, Sven nodded. " _Protect our leader, he is all us in Berk have left._ " Sven spoke loud and clear, his attention on both Mimae and Hiccup. The human swallowed, ducked his head in preparation for the gust of wind that took past him as they rose from Hadak.  
  
For that second time in ten hours, Hiccup found himself flying into another direction. The climate changed, chilling even in the summer sun. They broke the barrier protecting Hadak when the sun began to set, becoming a field of storm clouds and frozen rain. Pressed close to Mimae's neck, Hiccup breathed heavily as they pushed through the storm, narrowly avoiding lightning flashes.  
  
They passed a group of Terrors on the way, none of which knew the correct direction to go. Mimae sent them in the opposite direction of either Berk or Hadak, with the annoyed comment thrown over her shoulder thtat "likely they'll get lost long enough that things can be fixed and they can go back to actual work."   
  
Mimae slowed down the final stretch, the tips of her wings frozen and stiff. Hiccup, snuggled against her back and fighting the need to sleep, bit back surprise as they broke the final magic barrier, entering a warm zone. There was one lone island in the distance, a huge volcano with a stewing storm above it. With a noise of concern, Mimae raised herself to one of the highest pillar, close to the mountains but out of site of the passing dragons coming in from all directions.  
  
"Did we beat Toothless here?"  
  
" _No._ " Mimae growled. " _He's in there, demanding to speak before the courts. The people, they speak of a battle to claim the throne._ " Her eyes narrowed. " _Stand down!_ "  
  
An explosion from the right wall of the volcano made Hiccup do just that, pressing his body into the ridge of the cliff they were hiding from. Like a gush of water, dragons of all kinds poured out of the nest. The skies filled with these dragons, trying to find a spot to cower and watch the fight just as Toothless glided out of the nest, a screech on his lips for the queen to fight him.   
  
Taking Mimae's cue to duck low, Hiccup watched with rapt attention as the queen crawled out of her space, larger than any dragon he'd ever seen before. "What is that!" He asked, grabbing the wing of his companion. It was like watching a Gronckle, only mutated beyond belief. Green scales, thousands of teeth, six eyes. It looked more aquatic than aerial, with horns that folded back like reef.   
  
Lava spilled from its horns as it screeched high. Ears ringing, Hiccup cowered into himself.  _We never stood a chance against the queen_. His father would never believe this.  
  
Toothless hissed and spat back, tossing himself forward. Like an annoying insect, he bounced off the side of the large queen's face before being swatted into the ground. Sliding along the stone island, leaving an indentation, Toothless shook his head.  
  
"- _Made my mate leave me!_ " Toothless hissed, striking again.  
  
" **Kill the traitor!** " The queen's voice was booming, echoing across her lands like thunder. Blast of light knocked over a pillar that Mimae and Hiccup hid on. Without comment, Mimae gathered the human up, shooting for the skies once more.   
  
Around them, the cries of dragons sounded, like a frenzy of birds. Hiccup grabbed at Mimae's horns, pulling her head back when he realized she'd started a downward slope. She screamed in pain when he dug his fingers into the soft spot just under her chin. "Don't listen to her!" Hiccup shouted. "Just follow  _my_ voice!"  
  
Mimae's eyes danced with uncertainty, from queen to human.  
  
"Fly closer! Do not listen to her!"  
  
They flew in closer, disturbing debris as they dropped altitude at an alarming rate. Reaching behind him, Hiccup grasped the item he'd brought with him, ripping the protective sheath from the blade. Mimae made a deep noise, taking in the gleam of the weapon she was familiar with as the symbol Hiccup had taken from Toothless on their mating day, promising to bear the Night Fury sons. "It's just a dragon," Hiccup told himself. "Fly closer!"  
  
Mimae changed direction, gliding along the ground before shooting up just as the queen began to rise from the earth, taking after Toothless with a wide open mouth. " _She's going to eat him!_ " Mimae cried out.  
  
"Get closer!" Hiccup called again, digging his boots into the female's sides. Another screech and Mimae shot forward, towards the queen. As they aligned with one of the three eyes on the right side of the dragon's head, Hiccup waited until the thin pupil focused on him. It widened in realization just as the human went to thrust the blade into the third eye. It penetrated with a sickening noise but did little to deter the dragon from assault. "Pull back!" He used his legs to pull on Mimae, out of instinct with Toothless' saddle.  
  
They rose higher, brushing cautiously along the heavy wings of the queen as she tried to change direction, with the intent to kill the human in her lands. "We have flexibility! Keep moving, Mimae!" He bit back a shout as he saw Toothless being attacked midair by multiple dragons, wanting to do their queen proud. "Go left!" Hiccup shouted as the air became thin and hard to breath.  
  
With a sharp turn, they changed direction. As he expected, the queen wasn't able to keep pace. "Go back, I need my blade!"  
  
When they came about the second time, Hiccup had to dig his boot into the soft lens of the dragon's eye as he ripped his blade out. The urge to vomit was quickly pushed down as they dropped altitude again, avoiding sharp teeth. "Go to the other side, we'll take out-"  
  
The queen screamed, demanding Mimae kill the human. Mimae shook her head, trying to clear her senses.   
  
"Listen only to me, Mimae. My voice. Njáll's voice." Hiccup pleased, tugging on the bone-like horns again. Head snapped back, Mimae nodded. They came around again, giving Hiccup only a second to slam his blade in the into the second eye on the left side. The queen snapped her head back, knocking both dragon and rider off.  
  
Clutching the thin Nadder neck, Hiccup continued his orders. "Go up."  
  
Toothless smacked into the queen again, leaving a large gash into the second, right eye. The queen screamed, causing another blast of light to spread far across the lands. Hiccup grabbed his ears again, screaming himself with the painful burn the noise left. Mimae and Toothless handled it no better. Toothless' flight pattern became erratic and uncertain while Mimae lost altitude fast, crying out in pain. Cracking his eye open, Hiccup swallowed as he saw only the wide insides of the large, unknown dragon's mouth.  
  
 _She's not going to eat us,_  he realized as he saw the accumulation of flammable gas building up,  _she's going to burn us alive._  
  
"Mimae! Toothless!" Hiccup screamed over the sound of anguish. "Fire! Fire now, into the gas! She's a bad Terror!" He hoped they could understand what he meant, that he wanted them to light up the fire before she could blow it at them. Toothless shot forward, with a purpose in all his daze. Mimae turned, breathing in deeply to call forth the best flame she could. "Now!" Hiccup screamed as he caught sight of the queen's calling forth a spark to set the gas alight.  
  
Mimae sent a blast of fire first into the dragon's mouth. The queen's eyes widened just as her flammable gas caught spark, igniting in an infernal that tore through her flat mouth. Hiccup covered his face just as the blast of warmth filled the air around him. He heard Toothless' pained cry, barely audible over the explosion of flames.  
  
Under him, Mimae's body went missing and he reached for a horn, only to come with air. The noise around him disappeared, becoming a call of nothingness surrounded by a world of white. He was falling, he just knew it. The air trickling down his face, his hair blowing freely. His coat was warm -- was he on fire?  
  
 _I don't want my son growing up in a world shrouded by her hate._  
  
" _Njáll Hiccup!_ "  
  
 _Take care of our son, Toothless. Make him proud, not only of his human ancestry, but of his dragon's._  
  
His body slammed into a hardness, causing something in his body to snap. His back? His neck? It didn't matter, he couldn't feel, see, or hear anything.   
  
 _He is Thorn, and he will lead us into a new era, of dragons and humans -- just like that on Old Berk. I wish I could see it happen._  
  
Darkness finally took the light.


	15. Chapter 15

As he slept, he often felt the familiar hand of his mate, nestled in his own prone one. Sharp claws nicked the skin of his forehead once or twice but it didn’t rouse him. Eyelids too heavy, Hiccup slept on, enjoying a world that he was running after Thorn and his own father stood off to the side, laughing out loud as Astrid’s child came darting through the gardens of Hadak.  
  
Somewhere it all this, it occurred to him that it was a pipe dream at the moment. After the destruction left in the wake of the dragons, Hiccup doubted the people in Berk ever wanted to live side-by-side with the creatures.  
  
Several days went by in this dream world, like a flash of light. It all felt so real until Hiccup realized, standing in the middle of the gardens that he loved so much, that he hadn’t seen Toothless yet. Usually his nights were plagued with the memories of his mate. He would replay their mating night as well as the subsequent ones, up to the day that Toothless disappeared in the middle of the night, only to reappear months later destroying the home Hiccup loved so much.  
  
Had he died?  
  
Flashes of the queen’s raging face as she exploded mid-flight flashed through his head. Toothless had been so close to the initial blast, more so than Mimae. Maybe this was all a reality and he refused to accept one without his mate, no matter how inconsiderate the Night Fury had been.  
  
 _We have so much to talk about._  
  
The ground beside him shifted, molding into a familiar Night Fury. Toothless’ gleaming eyes faced Hiccup. “ _I want to hate you some days._ ”   
  
And yet the overpowering need to love the man came back just the same. Another flash of him and Toothless as children flashed across his vision. Him, only ten summers, laughing and chasing a dragon that was supposed to be his enemy, turned with the brightest of smiles and said, “I’ll always trust you.”  
  
These days, he didn’t have much to trust.  
  
“ _Hiccup, wake up._ ”  
  
Thorn was crying, a shrill of one that Hiccup had decided in that week of life definitely meant, “I’m hungry and if you don’t feed me, I’ll scream until I’m gray in the face.” He tried to force his heavy eyes open but it didn’t work. He must have been really tired after that three day trip with no sleep into the nest.   
  
“ _He needs more smelling salts._ ”  
  
“ _Give him time, Njáll. He’s had a very rough time these past few days._ ”  
  
There was a weight on his stomach, suddenly, and every instinct in Hiccup flared. His baby nestled against his chest, the small button nose pressed just under his ribcage. Every growing nails brushed along his skin, leaving an odd sensation down his stomach. He wanted to tell whoever was standing over him to get Thorn off his belly because the baby was starting to make a weak crawl up him until the child connected to his bare chest, weak fingers curling and toed feet feeling with uncertainty.  
  
Sleep seemed almost redundant at that moment as Hiccup tried to imagine his little baby. Was his subconscious playing tricks on him? He tried to pry his lids open but they were so heavy. He’d always been a heavy sleeper but even to him, this was ridiculous.  _I want to see my baby…_    
  
Every time he tried to picture Thorn in his little world, it was a foggy image, one always leaving him. He reached and screamed, watching the red mist form around his foggy child until it was finally no more.  
  
And his eyes opened. He was in his and Toothless’ room in Hadak, with the window uncovered, letting the moonlight shine in on him. On his belly, fast asleep against his heart, Thorn’s eyelids flickered with movement but he didn’t stir. On the other side of the room, a Terror squeaked from its spot, cleaning debris from the bedroom to give it some semblance of order.  
  
“Mmm…” Hiccup blinked. It took force to open his eyes again, focusing on the ceiling as he brought his left hand up to place over Thorn’s wings. The Terror, face true to its name, rushed out of the room, returning within minutes with Mimae and three healers. Toothless, he noted, had followed as well but had stayed back, against the wall.   
  
Ribs poked and prodded, he was helped into a sitting position for a second before being lowered back on the bed, this time with pillows propping him up. Through the whole observation, Hiccup held firmly onto Thorn, his gaze fixed on Toothless.   
  
Toothless is first to look away.  
  
A cup of water pressed against Hiccup’s lips and he drank greedily, bathing his dry lips with the liquid. A drop landed on Thorn, who twitched in annoyance, made a low noise before pushing his face into Hiccup’s broadening chest deeply. “Wha’ happen’d?” Hiccup finally asked, slowing his drinking speed by his second cup.  
  
Mimae swallowed. “ _What do you remember?_ ”  
  
“North and the queen. Is she really dead?”  
  
“ _Few were eager to try fishing her remains out of the ocean. She had few loyal followers. North is deserted, Hadak has become the center of commerce once more._ ” Mimae pried open his eyes, looking into pupils. “ _It’s no good, I know little of human physiology. Surely, Lord Njáll—_ ” Toothless turned away when his name was called, arms firmly crossed over his chest. Lips pierced together, Mimae turned back to Hiccup, touching his cheeks. “ _You hit your head really hard, the shoulder is broken. We’ve used some balms on the area so it might be tender._ ”  
  
Hiccup swallowed. “I’m surprised I only broke my shoulder hitting the ground that hard.” He didn’t even remember the pain of breaking anything, just the darkness that occurred mid-fall. He remembered hitting  _something_ , had assumed it was the ground. It was a sad way to go, proving himself a warrior only to become a puddle of Hiccup Goo on the ground.  
  
The Nadder shook her head. “ _Not the ground. The water dwellers rushed and broke your fall. The one that caught you broke his wing on impact, hit three Terrors as he dropped but everyone came out unscratched, besides that one._ ”  
  
A smile fell on his face, thinking about his earliest friends, the ones that had made him a part of their work when he first arrived in Berk. “I want to thank them,” he mentioned, mostly to himself.  
  
Cheeks tinged a dark blue, Mimae nodded. “ _Of course, my Lord Hiccup. I will send them up straight away._ ” She bowed low, leaving the room with a steady pace. The other healers that had come in with her stood back, nervously waiting to be dismissed. With a shrug of his shoulders, Hiccup watched each one leave before turning attention to his son, unable to make eye contact with his mate.  
  
“ _He looks like you._.” Toothless finally said after moments had passed with awkward silence.  
  
The smallest of smiles tugged at Hiccup’s lips. “That’s not what you want to talk about, Toothless. It’s also not what I want to hear from you.” Rubbing the padded bottom of his son, Hiccup lowered his gaze. The silence that filled the room was stifling, a product of their mating. “What happened to us?” Hiccup finally asked.  
  
Toothless paused. “ _I…do not know._ ”  
  
“I want to hate you, you know?” Hiccup asked. “The minute you left to see the queen, I wanted to hate you. Did you know that I was unhappy?”  
  
The silence was back, neither one knowing what to say. Hiccup brushed his cheeks with the back of his hand, collecting droplets of tears he didn’t know had fallen. “ _You always seemed happy when I saw you, especially about our little one. Our bond seemed to vibrate throughout the day. There wasn’t any indicator that something was wrong._ ” Toothless looked ashamed. “ _I didn’t realize something was amiss until I landed in North and checked our bond and couldn’t feel that warmth. I didn’t feel anything. It wasn’t as well-established as I had thought- it was still forming. I’d been foolish to think that warm feeling was something else, something positive._ ”  
  
“I called out for you when they sent me back to Berk. I tried doing that thing we did on our mating day, trying to send something through this bond to tell you I was scared and needed you. I kept waiting for you to come, to stand beside me and remind me that I agreed to this for a reason but it never came. You weren’t even there when the baby was born, I had to send someone to get you and all I see is you coming in and burning my home village to the ground. You don’t even wait long enough to listen to me, to make sure our son is all right, you just fly off again. What I want to know now is what am I to you, Toothless? Do you even care?”  
  
“ _Of course I care about you!_ ” Toothless shouted. Thorn, startled from his sleep, started to cry. “ _I, I over-reacted that night. I received bad information and reacted with a pure emotion._ ”  
  
“What were you told?” Hiccup stared at Toothless with all his might, carefully bouncing and soothing his son.  
  
“ _I was informed that the humans had let you birth the baby long enough to kill both you and Thorn. The evidence they brought was your mating stone, no longer gleaming. I believed, at the time, that you would never have removed it on your own power but the old dragon, the Nightmare of Berk, has told me that you did remove it on your own, as a warning to me._ ” Toothless crossed the room, sitting on the bed. His wings brushed over Hiccup’s thigh but not in a purposeful move. “ _S it’s your decision, do with me as you will._ ”  
  
Hiccup sighed. “What are you talking about, you stupid dragon?” Sometimes Toothless just infuriated him, more so now that he (for the most part) understood the language.  
  
“ _I have failed you as a mate. I’ve put you in danger with my own careless decisions. I put Thorn in danger. Properly, you have the right to bind my wings and toss me into the ocean._ ”  
  
The very thought of Toothless taking they very plunge Y’Von had taken was horrible. Hiccup never wanted anything bad to happen to Toothless, especially not an apparent death. “That’s awful!” He voice out loud. “No! I—” what did he want? Toothless to grovel an apology for putting Hiccup into a state of frenzy for the entire pregnancy? For missing out on the first week of Thorn’s life? For… “Have you even held Thorn yet?” He bit.  
  
“ _You given him another sire, so of course-_ ” The pain in his back and shoulder was worth climbing over the bed, shifting Thorn, and hitting the night fury. The burn in his hand meant little to him as he moved from should to arm and for added effect, hit the dragon twice upside the head to make the dragon’s unused brain actually work. “- _Stop! That actually hurts! My horn! Agh!_ ”  
  
Stopping for a second to breathe, Hiccup thrust Thorn into the dragon’s unsuspecting arms before plopping back against the soft pillow on the bed. “Who brought Thorn from Berk?”  
  
“ _As we were flying back from North, about thirty dragons were coming back from Berk. With them was a half-dragon holding Thorn._ ” Toothless breathed, holding the baby at a distance with uncertainty. Toes stretched than curled when solid ground wasn’t found but instead of fussing, Thorn’s fat baby arms nudged at Toothless’ hand, feeling and searching as his wings tried to rise up.   
  
After a while, Thorn gave up his observation of the environment for his fingers, trying to fit as many in his mouth as his free hand curled around Toothless’ thumb. Nervously, the older dragon brought the baby closer until they were chest to chest, Thorn’s ear fold against his sire’s heart. The sucking stopped abruptly making a low uncertain noise of inquiry. Eyes at slit, Thorn nuzzled closer to Toothless’ chest and his mouth parted in a realizing surprise.  
  
Surprised by his little baby’s behavior, Hiccup hummed. “He didn’t act that way when Vidar brought him over to me after birth. He knows who is real father is.”  
  
Rubbing Thorn’s wings, Toothless glanced over. “ _You didn’t make him your new mate?_ ”  
  
“One bad mate’s good enough.” Hiccup chuckled. Sighing, Hiccup steadied himself, rubbing the tight wrapping around his shoulders. “I should apologize myself. I know, deep down, that you really love me. You changed yourself to fit with me but I still had to make myself fit with you. I only mated with you because I was curious – not about you but about Old Berk and Hadak. There was a history I wanted to know and they only way it could happen was if I stayed here. The sex,” Hiccup blushed, “the sex made it easier to handle and I was really starting to love you but it wasn’t as developed as your love.”  
  
Rather they were both at fault, in the end. Toothless, who had made an entire mating courtship without making the recipient aware, and Hiccup had led Toothless into believing that there really was something between the two that was only just forming.  
  
Toothless believed that the bond, didn’t know that Hiccup’s had actually still been forming which affected his own side. If the queen had waited a few more months before investigating, the two would have been stronger as mates. Instead, they had been in the beginnings of a rocky relationship, easily pushed over when the war started.   
  
“ _Is there still an opportunity for me to prove myself to you?_ ” Toothless finally asked.  
  
With the smallest of looks at Thorn, Hiccup nodded. “There will always be an opportunity between us.” He gaze moved up to Toothless' chest, at the familiar stone wrapped around the dragon's neck. Hiccup's birthing stone, the symbol of their mating. "Will you hold onto that for me?"  
  
"Until the day you will wear it with pride once more."  
  


* * *

  
  
“I’m what?” Hiccup let go of the milk-horn he’d been using to feed Thorn.   
  
Sven, standing in the corner as a towering beacon of humanoid, grunted back a smirk as his daughter, not nearly as tall as him, stood with her arms crossing her chest watching  _Toothless_  with interest. “King. You killed the queen and by the instinctual rule we follow, that makes you our leader. You beat the strongest.” His flabby human lips moved from lack of use, causing his words to slur some.  
  
Confused, Hiccup looked towards Mimae, looking small in her spot. “Uh, no? Both Toothless and Mimae did. I just rode on your back.”  
  
“ _I would have submitted to her demands the second she made a request, no matter what it is. Your voice kept me focused on the task: your orders. Your orders, even though facilitated through another, removed the most powerful leader from their slot. You are now King of the Dragons. All dragons._ "   
  
Annoyance laced in his voice, Hiccup tried again. "No, Toothless is next in line. First the queen, then Gronky, then Toothless."  
  
" _With Gronky on the other side,_ " there was a pause in the room but Mimae pressed on, " _and the Queen disposed of, it is Njáll Hiccup, Njáll, myself..._ " She ran through a list of names, most whom Hiccup had never even heard of.  
  
"Wouldn't this cause some kind of disruption in your society? Toothless, tell her this is a bad joke and it needs to end." Hiccup turned to his mate, subconsciously moving the milk-horn back to Thorn's waiting mouth before the child could start causing a fuss for being ignored.   
  
Toothless ran his fingers through Hiccup's recently cut hair, slipping a few long strands behind the boy's ear. " _They are not joking, My Little King. Even before the upper dragons realized there had been a change in the voice of leadership, it has moved through the dragons. There are handful of sanctions eager to fight your word but these are only the queen's most loyal of party. Most dragon-kind has welcomed your voice into our own. A brighter future, a chance to move forward._ " The sharp claws felt good in his head, along a bump the occasioned a migraine from the battle. Hiccup bit back the small moan that threatened to escape. " _Besides, this allows you to make Hadak a better place for Thorn to thrive._ "  
  
"I don't want to be king..." Hiccup dropped his head back against the wall, staring up at the tall ceilings. "I wouldn't know the first thing to do. I mean, I know how to run a village but not a kingdom."  
  
Brushing his flat nose over Hiccup's cheek, Toothless breathed heavily. " _I think you will be just fine._ "  
  
Knowing that he wasn't going to have a say in this, the human exhaled sharply before grumbling out, "You can't make me."  
  
Toothless rubbed his forehead, fighting back a smirk of his own. " _Imagine all the changes you could make to fit Thorn into our society._ "  
  
Now  _that_  was an idea, almost an encouraging one. Testing the waters a little, Hiccup glanced at Mimae. "We need to get the water system back up in running. Have the water dwellers start on the pulley system and the queen loyalist should be keeping the cleansing system heated."  
  
Mimae nodded. " _Of course, sir. Very good._ "  
  
Hiccup grumbled but continued. "In Berk, if you refuse to work, you refuse to eat. Tell them that if they fight." The nadder nodded her head low before leaving the room to direct his orders. Watching her leave, Hiccup made a small surprised noise. They really were treating him like somebody special. It was like everything his father had ever taught him by running the country, leading the armies, and fighting came back suddenly. He rubbed Toothless' hand as he thought,  _You're right, this won't be too hard._  He focused on the occupants of the room. "Can't you be king, Toothless and we just say that I am?"  
  
Toothless just gave him a bored look. Hiccup returned it with an annoyed look of his own.  _Fine then._  "I want to walk around Hadak, could you please help me up?"  
  
Toothless did so, using his own weight as a prop for Hiccup to lean on as he struggled to his unused feet. Sven and Ragna kept a step behind the family as they moved around the palace, supervisor rebuilding projects. Hiccup made it a point to have Toothless check dragons he'd seen in the scuffle, to make sure limbs were in working order and no sprains had gone unnoticed. As they travel from locations to locations, Toothless allowed Ragna ask questions of his kind, information that Hiccup soaked up as he watched Thorn drool against his sire's protective hold.  
  
"- _There are no others. My parents? I was raised by the queen, until my majority it had not occurred to me she was neither more sire nor my mother. I had just assumed._ " A purple flared over his cheeks at the thought he hadn't noticed something off about the only parent in his life. " _To this day, I have never seen another of my kind._ "  
  
Sven, with some shame, spoke about Toothless' parents, the old king of Hadak before Gronky took throne. He described the story of his mate, leaving Hadak and the king shedding his skin. He didn't have an explanation for what had happened to the queen but he commented absently about how Toothless had always been with the queen. Unless something happened to the mother or sire, Sven explained to Hiccup, a hatchling was never too far from its parent. They just weren't safe   
  
Noticing the glance Hiccup gave Thorn, Ragna smiled. "Do not worry, King Hiccup. I would have raised Thorn as long as I could have and I'm certain your father would have cared for the baby when I could not."  
  
Stopping, Hiccup grabbed his mate's arm. "Toothless! I still need to see my dad! I just disappeared  _again_. He's going to think the worse! And I need to check on the people there!" He'd left so quickly, while the fires had yet to cool; it probably created a wave of rumor with his father in the center. It was only right to go back and check.  
  
" _Of course, Hiccup._ " Toothless nodded.  
  
"And my dad  _is_  going to be in Thorn's life. I can't take away his grandchildren from him."   
  
Toothless agree, but Hiccup couldn't help but feel his new status was making Toothless more accommodating or perhaps the rockiness of their mating status? He clasped his hands together nervously, wondering if there was a power struggle going on in the dominant dragon that had a submissive mate in a high position.  _He could always fight me for the spot. In fact, I doubt I'd stand a chance against any of these dragons. They don't realize how weak I am._  
  
Gronky's voice echoed in the back of his mind, a soothing whisper talking about how he sustained his lands from Toothless' initial control not with brawn, but with brain.  
  
Ragna and Sven disappeared shortly before the gardens when the female nightmare wandered after a gronckle carrying artifacts to the palace vault. Hiccup felt a sudden shift in the air between him and Toothless as they continued their trek through the palace, for the first time since their talking in the bedroom nearly a week before, without escort. Thorn, snuggled comfortably into his father’s arms (his favorite place to be next to pressing himself against Hiccup’s chest), not aware of the tension between his parents as he made little happy noises.  
  
“You really didn’t question you parents’ locations as a hatchling?” Hiccup asked, trying to chase away the awkwardness that had plagued them. He had slept in their mating bed alone that night since coming back to Hadak, surrounded by a layer of dust where Toothless should have been as the dragon laid out on the floor in his other form, protectively curled around their hatchling, who slept in a crib brought up from storage, and watched the night sky for any signs of attack.  
  
Toothless gazed off. “ _It is the smell. The queen was all I had ever taken in, filling the void of two missing scents._ ”  
  
“Would Thorn have realized that his sire wasn’t in his life too?” Hiccup glanced at his son who seemed just too content to notice that Toothless had once not been there to hold him.  
  
The night fury shrugged his broad shoulders. “ _Perhaps not, he had scented another male and would have grown up believing that was the person who created him, just as the queen had been for me._ ”  
  
Flushed, Hiccup turned his way. “I am sorry about that, no one told me that another dragon holding our baby before you would make that big of difference. I didn’t select Vidar over you or anything. He was nice but I was still pining for another arrogant dragon that annoyed me to no end.”  
  
“ _Well I hope he’s good looking at least._ ”  
  
Confusion washed over the human’s face. “What?”  
  
“ _The person you were waiting for, he was at least good looking?_ ”  
  
Leading the dragon, Hiccup bit back the smirk that threatened to show itself. “Well, Vidar did have nice sharp claws and a very nice tail—” The growl that resonated from Toothless’ chest made the human laugh, brushing his finger over the corner of his eye. “No, I… Vidar was a shoulder that I could cry on. A bit of a bastard but the more I learned the more I realized he was like you. From North and misinformed.” Hiccup quieted himself there, flushed at realizing how much Vidar really was like Toothless, only Toothless already had the human. “Sven warned me about Thorn’s scent. Made suggestions to clean him but Thorn started to rash when I used the soap.”  
  
Toothless didn’t find a chance to say anything about that as Thorn made a soft cry that Hiccup declared meant the baby was sleepy. Holding his arms out for his son, the human felt the blood rush to his cheeks when he brushed arms with the dragon but the touch was fleeting. Toothless put a distance between them and nodded.  
  
“ _I am going to do the ruins today… Would you like to join me?_ ”  
  
“After Thorn’s nap, perhaps. I want to check on the water hole.” Hiccup rubbed Thorn’s smooth wings, taking in the tiny bones along the base of the spine.  
  
Looking embarrassed, Toothless scratched at his chin, looking away. “ _May I join you?_ ”  
  
“Not going to be exciting.” Hiccup nodded though, leading the way back to Toothless’ private chambers. In the furthest corner was the crib set up with the blanket that Thorn had been wrapped in during the battle in Berk. Rocking his son in his arms, Hiccup walked around the room, never taking his eyes off the busy sky of Hadak. “You’re going to help me, right?”  
  
“ _I promise you, you’ll do fine, Hiccup._ ” Toothless settled on his bed, seeming to relax almost instantly. “ _You have the chance to lead us into a new era. Whatever you plan, I will back you fully._ ”  
  
Settling the dozing Thorn into his crib, Hiccup settled next to the crib, carefully rocking it. “What if I said I wanted to open up trade with humans? Bring more humans in and intermingle our societies? Bring the people of Berk here to live amongst dragons and try to recreate the old age?”  
  
“ _Then I will support your decision. There may be some resistance from the more conservative marketers along the trade district but…_ ” Toothless rambled absently, talking about how trade relations had always worked among the dragon communities between both North and Hadak. Hiccup listened absently, scratching Thorn’s plump belly while watching every move his son made, cataloguing it for future information. “ _Of course, this is if Berk would even think of opening its coast with Hadak. They may be willing to speak with you but I may have spoiled any chance for our countries to create alliance._ ”  
  
Belly swaying, Hiccup nodded. “Probably not. Give it a couple decades. If we don’t  _attack_ ,” he gave the dragon a pointed look, “Berk, then we might have a chance to start opening trade. I want to talk with my dad though, I a few months when things have settled. I might be able to talk him into not mounting retaliation on Hadak. As for open trade any time soon, probably not.” Although he did have other things planned that might make Hadak and the dragons move forward but first thing first, he had to get the dragon nest cleaned up and managed. “You’ve been avoiding me.” He finally voiced after some time.  
  
“ _I am giving you the space you deserve._ ” Toothless nodded. “ _I have been thinking, though._ ”  
  
Hiccup smiled. “Oh, no.”  
  
“ _Hush, Little One._ ” Toothless smiled. Climbing to his feet, he came over to where Hiccup had seated himself, placing a big claw on the other part of the crib to help Hiccup rock Thorn. Their eyes stayed connected and Hiccup found his cheeks heating up. “ _I want to court you again, properly. Reestablish our mating bond without the rush of seasons._ ”   
  
He hadn’t been expecting that. “I fell for you once, I don’t think you would have to try hard again.”  
  
“ _I was courting all those years, but you were enjoying time spent with a friend. This time, I want you to know my intentions with you. Please let me court you for as long as it takes. I will make things right, not by fixing the worlds we were born to but by working on us._ ” Toothless swallowed. “ _Because that was the problem. I’ve always tried to fix the big problems but that isn’t what needed work. You fixed that._ ”  
  
“Stupid dragon.” Hiccup shook his head, no longer rocking the crib. “It’s not just you. We both need to fix this.”  
  
“ _I want you to tell me everything you want, no matter how silly it is. If I’m doing something wrong, grab me right here,_ ” He put Hiccup’s hand on his sensitive horns on his cheeks, “ _And make me listen._ ”  
  
Toothless felt warm under his hand, the skin just vibrated and Hiccup could feel everything. His grip tightened subconsciously on the horn, making the night fury wince, but not pull away. Instead, Hiccup tilted the dragon’s head down, shortening the distance between them. “All right. I want you to sleep in our bed again Toothless. And not because I said to. I know you can dismiss orders by the higher ranking dragons. This isn’t politics. This is us and we’re equals in this relationship. If you don’t feel comfortable than let me know.”  
  
Sharp claws brushed over Hiccup’s cheeks, the pad of the dragon’s thumb leaving a familiar trail of warmth in its wake. “ _I want nothing more than to hold you again._ ”  
  
“Please hold me…”  
  
And Toothless did. Held close against Toothless’ chest the human listened to the more rapid beating of the dragon heart, considering the scents the wrapped around him and thought:  _I can live with this_.  
  
One day, he hoped, Toothless and he would be sturdy mates with a strong bond, but right now he was content having a place where he belonged creating a world that he, Thorn, and Toothless could all live freely.


	16. Epilogue

_Is this a Hadak you could appreciate?_  
  
Hiccup stared up into the sky, enjoying the impressive view of the dragons under his reign move about their chores without a second thought. The Nightmare brandishing milk was exchanging canisters for newly filled ones moved around gracefully from ledge to ledge, the slick prosthetic fin on his tail moving without lag as he glided from area to area. The stretch of his wing moved the prototype just right, letting him catch a breeze that moved further up through the towers surrounding the castle.   
  
It wasn't often that the king's time wasn't monopolized by either the happenings of the kingdom or the attentions of either mate or hatchlings but when Hiccup could, he enjoyed taking in the sites. He wondered if Gronky would have appreciated the changes happening to the community. Hiccup liked to think it was a step into the right direction.  
  
His best contribution was the introduction of animal husbandry into the society. The smaller dragons had really taken to the aspect of raising their own food, distributing and breeding and being part of Hadak's rise. It also meant dragons, while still great hunters, was able to grow and care for their own food during the harsher winter months. It also allowed trade to occur between Berk and Hadak. Dragons were able to go further distances in shorter times to gather spices and goods from eastern provinces for food otherwise inaccessible for such a northern land like theirs.  
  
In a week he planned to open further trade with parts of north for gems and minerals that were in demand in southern countries. This was perhaps the greatest time in dragon creation, Sven used to say before his death two summers before. It had been a nice time; the old nightmare had played some ground-level games for the hatchlings and told Hiccup and Toothless grand tales of when he was a boy. He went to bed with a smile on his face and never woke up again.   
  
Ragna said he was finally happy.  
  
Wrapping his arms around his form, Hiccup made a low hum noise as he watched his mate skip from tower to tower, trailed by a couple terrors, learning to healing trade.  _Transitioning dragons back to north couldn't come too soon, we're overpopulated._  
  
He was turning inside when he caught a glimpse of his oldest and two hatchlings, settled out on a blanket in the gardens. Thorn, although fifteen summers old, was the equivalent of a human four-year-old. The boy, with his slowly growing hair and out of his face, was holding up toys out of reach of his newest siblings, the twin hatchling girls who were half his age, products of Toothless gestation. The little ones were reaching and crying for the toys made for them but Thorn was being his usual self, finding joy in making his younger siblings cry.  
  
"Thorn."  
  
The toy was dropped and Thorn, glancing up at his parent with some shame. "I was just playing with 'em." He stuttered around his words, a trait that Toothless was sure was just a side-effect of his heredity. He had the cutest tiny lips that seemed to get stuck against his gums that had teeth constantly peeking out.  
  
"If you have time to play such games with your sisters, perhaps you have time to help in the kitchens. Your grandfather's visiting for the trade summit, I bet he'd be excited to see something you've  _created_." Three summers before, Thorn had visited Berk and had spooked the sheep purposefully. It took weeks to clean up the damage caused by the stampeding animals that came through the village courtyard. "Come on, off to the kitchens. The hatchlings are going to take a nap."  
  
"'On't wanna work in the kitchens!" Thorn stomped, his little wings shaking behind him.  
  
"I bet the cook will let you sample some rolls if you help him." Hiccup murmured absently, lifting his little girls into both arms. Dagna, the bigger of the two, grabbed Hiccup by the scruff of his beard and pulled to butt heads with him in a familiar form of greeting. Her sister, Eisa, folded herself against his heart with the most annoyed look shot at her brother while she sucked on a claw absently.  
  
Quieted, Thorn licked his lips. "Mm!" He turned off, walking with a sense of purpose that made Hiccup snicker. His son, even so young, had enough years to pick up his father's attitude. Toothless liked to describe Thorn as a miniature him, which always made Hiccup giggle at the thought of unleashing another  _Njáll_  on the Earth.  
  
"All right, girls. I think we could all use a nap!" Hiccup followed after his son, making a beeline to the room across from his and Toothless' private chambers that was shared by all their children. Thorn's side of the room was trampled, bedding tossed and possessions tossed out of his personal chest (the very one that had been nestled deep in Old Berk at one time). Kicking the wooden figurine Toothless had made for the boy over, Hiccup lowered both girls into their individual beds. "Now sleep."  
  
Eisa still holds firm on his facial hair, her lipless mouth moving to try and talk like her brother while her tail flicks her sister absently. Dagna responds back with a flick of her own, halfway between her form of humanoid and dragon, never sure which one is more comfortable to sleep (or in some cases  _live_ ) in. She finally settled against her wooden doll, a gift from her father, while running a thick paw up its leg as she sucked on her other claws.  
  
Humming a soft tune his own mother had sung from him as a child, Hiccup brushed his hand down his daughters stomachs, enjoying the domestic feel of it all. He hadn't expected to have three beautiful children, especially not half-dragon ones but he and Toothless had worked hard to get that far. Their second courting only took two years before Hiccup took the next step. For the girls, they had talked forever about having children but Hiccup was still plagued with the nightmare of being abandoned while pregnant. Toothless agreed to hatch their babies that time, which Hiccup suspected caused more dragon-like children.  
  
Brushing back Eisa's raven hair, Hiccup detangled himself from his daughter's claws without startling as thick arms wrapped around his middle. "Are you ready to house my father?"  
  
Toothless groaned. " _Your father hates me._ "  
  
"He does not."  
  
" _Every time I see him he wants to fight me._ "  
  
Rubbing the dragon's flattened horns, Hiccup grinned. "It's called rough housing, it means he likes you. Now is that a little dragon in your robes or are you just happy to see me?" Grinning, Hiccup pressed his body into the firmness along Toothless inner thigh, bunched up in healers robes. Absently grabbing the rope that held Toothless' clothing on, Hiccup made a playful tug to have the dragon follow him.  
  
Toothless rubbed his jaw absently. " _Actually..._ " He reached into the pouch of his robes, fingers brushing Hiccup's skin as he grabbed the solid object and pulled out another wooden toy. " _Made it for the girls._ " He showed Hiccup the two additional dolls he'd been creating. More toys.   
  
"Toothless..." Hiccup grumbled. His children had so many little figurines, from wooden rockers shaped like dragons to fine wooden castles with little figurines that lived inside. "They have enough playthings already. Thorn needs to be playing with boys his own age instead of locking himself in his room and terrorizing bystanders."  
  
" _Maybe our next one..._ " Toothless' smile stretched.  
  
Hands on his hips, Hiccup grumbled. "I told you once, you stupid dragon, we have enough babies to take care of." He walked with Toothless down the hall, nearly skipping his and Toothless' more private office. "What?"  
  
" _Come see something._ " Toothless chimed automatically, dragging Hiccup to a grand balcony often used for easy access flight. It was big enough for three zipplebacks, a waste of space according to Hiccup but he'd seen it used for good so it didn't matter in the end. Holding his arms out readily, Hiccup allowed Toothless to grab him under the armpits and carry him down Hadak to the small island under.  
  
It was busier than ever. The water dwellers at the creek still worked long hours using a pulley system that allowed them to carry water up to Hadak in a faster system but now there was more dragons that needed a source of clean water which put strain on the system. Hiccup groaned at the thought of his complex system breaking down one of these nights, even though the foreman (the very gronckle that had caught him midair years before) swore the system was well maintenance.   
  
Grasping the dragon's hand, they walked through the streets of New Hadak, leading to the old ruins of Old Berk. In the years, Ragna has set excavation of the site, cataloguing every detail into a personal book of history, finding a middle ground for the future children to know that Hiccup and Toothless were not the first night fury-human couple but the first to  _last_.   
  
But as Toothless shows the human a cradle he's been working on, Hiccup wonders how long that will last.   
  
"I've been asking you to make a cradle since Thorn was only a summer old."  
  
Standing proudly next to the wooden piece of furniture, made with a loving craftsmanship that only Toothless was able to create. It had little dragons carved into the headboard, shaped around a depiction of Old Berk. Awkwardly, Hiccup rubbed the wooden dragon of a human reaching up to the dragons, one that looked so much like him asking for Toothless to come back for their mating ceremony.  _My gods, that feels so long ago._  " _I've been working on it for years. I had to find the right wood and then I was scared about the size, what if Thorn was just a unique example of what we can have? He was so tiny in comparison to the girls._ "  
  
"You're rambling." Hiccup smiled up at the dragon. "Why now?"  
  
" _I want to fill Hadak with our hatchlings._ " Toothless said effortless. Hiccup wanted to stomp on his toes because that was certainly no reason.  _And who do you think is going to birth these babies, hm?_  He grinned at the dragon, imaging Toothless plump with another two or three eggs. Only, it made his stomach tinge to think of himself pregnant again with Toothless by his side this time. " _You were so beautiful the first time._ "  
  
Standing, Hiccup cupped Toothless' claw staring at the innocent piece of furniture. "It's beautiful." He directed their joined hands at the furniture. "And you know I love seeing our children but it won't be like with the girls. No egg being hatched and long periods of incubation."  
  
Purple in the face, Toothless lowered his head and gazed away from Hiccup. " _I wasn't implying you. I overstepped-_ "  
  
"No, no." Hiccup smiled, rubbing his thumb over the dragon's rough knuckles. He felt so bad, he hadn't realized the tiny nicks across the dragons hand but he could tell by the attention Toothless had put into the crib. It was intended to be used by many, not just their children but by their children's children. "I wasn't saying I haven't been  _tempted_. I want more children, of course. But now?" He swallowed. Thorn was at such a stage, always wanting his parents' attention. It would only grow worse if there was more competition for his parents' time. "I still have those nightmares."  
  
Shame written across his face, Toothless tightened his hold on Hiccup. " _I would never leave you longer than absolutely necessary._ " Which was absolutely true, without question. In the years after Thorn's birth, Toothless had been away at the longest three days on either visits to trading communities or personal hunting trips. It had been years that Hiccup truly felt alone, their bond resonated deep inside him with the warmest of feelings, no matter the distance.  
  
Touching his toned belly, Hiccup smiled. "Well, I've always wondered if  _who_  brings the baby to life contributes to the infants features. Be very interesting for my book. We have a handful of humans occupying Hadak now, and they've been asking me about babies."  _I've only had one though._  
  
Toothless smiled. " _Life isn't a thing to figure out._ "  
  
"And that's how you're just like those Vikings. Your brain! Best friend!" Hiccup reached up to tap the dragon's head. He only stopped when Toothless' flat mouth pressed against his own in the chastest of kisses that made his thoughts stop. "You'll carry me around if my feet hurt?"  
  
" _Don't I already do that, lazy human?_ "  
  
The swat against his chest was absent, normal even. "And deal with me when I'm all 'woman-y'?" His dad had been such a champ when he thought back to it. A lot of their fighting was a mixture of being a child madly in love and a pregnant male. His father never had deserved half the trouble Hiccup put him through. All the crying, tantrums, and purposeful attacks were taken with a wave of calmness and understanding that had been given to Valhallarama when she was pregnant.  
  
Toothless smirked and Hiccup swatted him again. " _I can carry our next child but I do want another._ " Toothless wrapped his arms around Hiccup.  
  
"No, I have it. I'm holding you to all those promises we made." Hiccup kissed the small ridges around Toothless' cheeks. The sensitive horns twitched with the lightest of touches. "I suppose we should be heading back to Hadak then..."  
  
" _Well, actually..._ " Toothless reached into his robes again, pulling out the familiar necklace Hiccup usually had around his neck but had forgone that morning while dressing. In fact, he usually took the magical amulet off before they had sex, hung it up lovingly on the bed frame. The blood pooled in his cheeks seeing the stone. He was lucky to have had fifteen summers to grow used to Toothless' presumptuous behavior. Rubbing his eyes, Hiccup pushed back the laughter. Only his mate. " _Why wait?_ "  
  
"Most people just say they want to mate."  
  
" _I want to mate._ "  
  
"Here, now?" Hiccup exclaimed, scandalized.   
  
" _Please_."  
  
Sighing as if he was put upon, Hiccup rubbed the dragon's face horns. "Fine, but you get to tell dad." He smiled.  
  
Smirking, Hiccup moved the dragon back against the old walls of the house, the pendant dropping to the ground next to the cradle as he pushed his dragon against the wall. He tilted his head up, capturing the dragon's mouth again. Toothless' thick tongue slipped along his open mouth, brushing the surface of his flat teeth. Nibbling on the appendage, Hiccup stepped back, putting distance between the two. "It's not often you're adventurous." He supplied, still grinning. "Always afraid the children will run in."  
  
" _They do run in. At least here, it's very much secluded. We have hours before they come looking for you._ " Toothless rolled his tongue down Hiccup's chin, tilting the man's head to the side to run his tongue along the line short hairs of Hiccup's face, down the surface of skin showing on the man's neck to the bare skin of the collarbone, one of many erogenous zones. The thought that he had meetings waiting for him, just after the twins nap (which would be ending within the minutes), left him like water.   
  
"Hours..." He breathed, standing on his toes for Toothless to touch more. Pressed against the wall, the dragon was more than willing. His sharp claws tickled over sensitive skin, curving along the spine where they stilled as Hiccup rocked closer to attach their mouths again. His smaller tongue plunged into the warm oral cavity of his mate, brushing along soft gums and smooth bumps where sharp teeth lay hidden. The feeling sent sparks of interest to his groin, pressed firmly at Toothless' knees.  
  
Sliding down, the length between them vanished almost instantly and Hiccup relaxed into the kiss. He sucked on the tip of the dragon's thick tongue, enjoying the thickness of it all before slipping his mouth to the dragon's high cheekbone, namely the sensitive horns along them. Slipping one easily into his mouth, he sucked playfully on it as nimble fingers moved along the dragon's toned chest.  
  
Before he knew it, they were sitting on the ground. Toothless, back against the wall, held Hiccup firmly around the waist, allowing the smaller being to sit comfortably in his lap as they lapped hungrily at each other's body. Pulling off of Hiccup's neck, Toothless moved on, sliding further into the dirt. His mouth brushed across dark nipples, sharp teeth peeking out far enough to graze the skin without doing irreparable damage. Bent over the dragon, Hiccup touched the thicker, heavier horns on his mate's head and kissed the tip. The flick it gave under the softest of touch made him smile but that was gone when Toothless tugged on his nipple.  
  
"-Ah." Hiccup rearranged his legs, a mix of pulling away and pushing closer to the dragon. The warm breath moved over the spot as the dragon refocused his effort into licking the tender skin. Absently, Hiccup rocked his hips up, against the softened shell that protected Toothless' cock, now sneaking out of robes. Digging his toes into the dirt, the human gasped as the dragon released the bindings of both their robes, leaving them bare to the world. The same hand moved around his swelling cock, not even at full girth as the blood pooled quickly.   
  
The rough pad of skin brushed along the tip of his cock as slick fingers moved the foreskin back. Swallowing, Hiccup focused on breathing. The warm mouth had moved to his other nipple as another big hand cupped his rear, parting the folds of his bottom. "Toothless..." Hiccup moaned, his body moving on its own. It was only a passing though to look at his hands, knuckle white and wrapped around thick horns. Releasing the dragon, Hiccup patted and kissed the spot hoping to sooth any hurts he may have caused but Toothless was too focused on  _him_. Always on him during sex.  _Such a giving lover_.  
  
It was then that he realized Toothless had slid out of his hands, further down his body until his head was tilted up to brush along Hiccup's dick. Upper body pressed against the wall, Hiccup glanced down and watched as the dragon swallowed him. He nearly lost it, Toothless looked in bliss, his soft gums slipping along the base of the human's cock, his thick tongue coiling along the tip. Rotating his hips, Hiccup hissed as Toothless grabbed his hips, stopping him from absently thrusting into the warm -  _moist_  - cavern. It was so good.   
  
"Nn! Ah..."  
  
Toothless pulled back, until only the darkened tip was in his mouth. The veins along Hiccup's cock were darkening and he could feel the pulses through them. He was going to last long. The night fury swallowed him again, his hands squeezing the folds of Hiccup's butt and using it as the device that controlled the human's thrust. He flattened the mounds, pushing Hiccup in deep, and then tugged on them to pull out. If it hurt, it didn't register in his mind.  
  
Breathing swallowing, Hiccup swallowed as the first orgasm rushed through him. Under him, Toothless moaned in delight as he swallowed wad after wad, hungrily licking the tip for anymore that he may have missed before letting the human slip from his lipless mouth. His dark tongue rolled down, pressing along the sensitive skin under Hiccup's balls. Limbs shaking, the brunet gasped at the feeling that rocked through his frame.   
  
Not staying in one spot too long, Toothless' tongue slipped between Hiccup's cheeks. His claws dug into the human's fleshy bottom, pulling the curves apart to have better access to the pink entrance between them. The fact that he was almost sitting on the dragon's face meant little when that naughty tongue slipped into Hiccup. Head dropping back, the human moaned and rocked forward.   
  
"Toothless..." Hiccup bit his bottom lip as the tongue rolled and slipped deep into him. "Too--hah..." The dragon flicked his tongue out, unraveling it inside the man, causing the cavity to stretch.  _So... good..._  Hiccup fumbled to hold the wall as his hips began to bounce, fucking his receptive body. Between his legs, his penis gave a more than happy bob upwards, ready to go again. "Ah, hah, T-Toothless." Hiccup forced himself onto his rocky knees again. He moaned when the thick appendage slipped from his anal cavity, but he ignored the desire to sneak back down and have the dragon bring him to completion.  
  
"Stay there." He ordered.  
  
Toothless grinned. " _I love it when you're demanding._ "  
  
Hiccup glowered at him for a matching second but couldn't stay mad, especially not when he had a prone dragon under him that was willing to do anything he asked at this moment. Standing up fully, Hiccup reached into the dirt next to the cradle, picking up the necklace that had been dropped and forgotten earlier. "I think we need this."  
  
Eyes dilated, Toothless breathed. " _I'm more than all right carrying our next child, if you're not ready._ "  
  
Slipping the pendant over his head, Hiccup stepped back over to the dragon, sitting on the dragon's thigh. The thick dragon cock, hard and raised, stood proudly between their bodies against his own, much softer, penis. "No, I think I'm finally ready to unleash another Thorn into this world."  
  
Smirking, the night fury pushed himself up on his elbows, pressing their mouths together. Breaking the kiss, Hiccup grinned before turning, showing his backside to the dragon. "Stay there." He whispered over his shoulder, placing both knees along the dragon's side. Faintly, he could feel the warm flesh against his inner thigh and the wet tip brushed between the folds of his bottom. "Want you to watch." He smiled, reaching under him.  
  
It was an odd angle that made his shoulders twinge with discomfort but he simply pushed on, wrapping his hand around the thick base of the dragon's cock, just along the slightly bulged spot where the knot would form. Raising himself with his knees, Hiccup aligned himself with the dragon's angled tip and pushed down. His entrance resisted at the initial push but the muscles gave and more of the dragon slipped into the human until Hiccup was fully seated on the dragon feeling full and excited.  
  
Head tilted back, Toothless hands rested on Hiccup's hips but neither moved from their spots. Hands out in front of him, Hiccup awkwardly raised his body up before sitting back down, gasping as the swollen girth brushed along that spot that drove him mad. "A, are you watching?" He whispered over his shoulder as he raised himself up again, until only the tip of the dragon was in him. He lowered himself again before rotating his hips in a circle.  
  
" _Gods, I'm watching._ " Toothless panted heavily, his claws leaving indents into Hiccup's hips. " _Look at you swallowing me. Never - mm - never ceases to amaze me how your small body gobbles me up._ " Hiccup picked up rhythm with those words, making a point to lean forward on his elbows and fuck himself on the dragon. The hard tip pressed against the nerves in him and his toes curled. At the same time he could feel the swelling knot at the rim of his entrance. He was never going to get that thickness in like this. Toothless must have realized because he slipped completely out of Hiccup, leaving the human mate feeling empty.   
  
Toothless returned against Hiccup's back, his big hand pressing against the small of the king's back as he lined up against Hiccup's backside. He gave no warning before pushing in.  
  
Gasping, Hiccup urged his hips up, to take in more of the dragon with the next thrust. The next almost sent him toppling over. Toothless groaned and cried out, pivoting his hips into Hiccup with desire. His brushed and rubbed that spot, causing the human to cry out and beg, arching back for more until the thick bulb pressing against his back entrance finally pushed through. It inflated within seconds but the dragon continued his thrust, driven by an animalistic need to impregnate his mate.  
  
Reaching under him, the brunet wrapped his hand around his abandoned erection, squeezing the base to fight off his own orgasm as it drew closer.  _Want to come together, want to come together..._  
  
The warmth of their bond seemed to glow and vibrate, sending euphoric waves through the human's spine. He couldn't fight it off anymore; he came in his hand with a rush of warmth that was unimaginable. His world grew white as, seconds later; he felt the familiar warmth of dragon seed spreading far into his body, into an artificial womb already activated with the magic of the amulet.  
  
When his vision cleared, Hiccup realized that Toothless had grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together during his orgasm. The dragon was now licking along the back of the human's neck, along the familiar mating mark that never seemed to fade away these days. Kissing the back of the healer's hand, Hiccup smiled. "I can feel you." He shifted his hips purposely, brushing back along Toothless.  
  
Cooing in a wordless voice, Toothless brushed his nose under Hiccup's ear. " _I love you so much, my Little One._ "  
  
Snickering, Hiccup tilted his head back to kiss the dragon's nose-less face. "I love you too, Stupid Dragon."   
  
They were able to unknot nearly thirty minutes later, leaving the small hut as the day grew warm. Brushing a hand over his eyes, Hiccup shivered at the familiar weight in his abdomen shifted and wondered if it would form into an egg within the day. Either way, he already wanted to move their activities into their union bed and make another attempt later. Just to be sure, of course.  
  
"Toothless, could you bring the cradle up? I'm going to go check on the water dwellers." Hiccup already started towards the woods, ignoring the unsure glance Toothless gave the woods. It was safe but the dragon's instincts were running at full-force. All he had to do was ignore it and continue about his day.   
  
He barely made it over the ridge when Toothless returned, panting from excursion. " _Your father-!_ "   
  
Blinking, Hiccup smiled. "Here already? Water dwellers will have to wait. It's been almost two years since I last saw the old man."  
  
" _No, no--water dwellers first._ " Toothless pushed forward, Hiccup brushed the dragon back, pointing up at the sky with a smirk. Groaning, Toothless raised him into the air, bringing them into the mainland for Hadak.  
  
True to his word, Stoick was in Hadak. Standing like a beacon in the gardens of the palace, the old Viking was laughing jovially as his grand-children climbed up him, trying to play all at once. Holding little Dagna giggled against her grandfather's graying beard, not even offering her parents her full attention while Thorn, sprawled out on the old man's head, waved heartily at his parents with a scream that grandpa was there.  
  
"Yes, I can see that." Hiccup let go of his mate's claw with a reassuring smile before he wrapped his arms around his father. "Dad, I'm glad you made it. I thought you were supposed to be here tomorrow at the earliest?"  
  
"Told that mangy dragon to move faster. I don't like fighting for your attention when these trade summits happen. Tried to bring Snotlout this year but, ah... he says to wish you the best." His father trailed off looking away. It was a mixed-relationship Snotlout and Hiccup had. The distrust for the dragons always stood in the way for Snotlout to make a practical decision when it came to allying with Hadak. At least, Toothless often reasoned, the human was smarter than to attempt a fruitless takeover of the dragon lands. "Can't say I didn't come empty-handed though. Gifts from the children, of course but I had a couple stragglers that preferred their new mates than the human society."  
  
"Mates?" Hiccup whispered just as Toothless chimed the same in his own language.  
  
"Mm. Apparently it's fashionable to have one apparently. I don't understand the point behind it but Orvik says I'm old and will never understand the love between him and his Nadder girl. I just want to know how they go about it; uh...you wouldn't happen to know, would you?"  
  
Snickering, Hiccup shook his head. "I try not to think about other mate pairings. Well, I'll meet up with him later and welcome him to Hadak. We're becoming a lot more open minded here."  
  
"Berk will get there eventually." Stoick whispered. "It's just still too soon."  
  
"I understand. I'm glad you came around though."  
  
Laughing, Stoick tucked a hand on Thorn's head while another meaty hand fell on Eisa, still positioned halfway up his leg. "And miss out on these tykes! As if!"  
  
Grinning, Hiccup helped his father remove the children, giving them a playful push towards the palace with the simple call of, "Clean up your rooms before you see any gifts." The girls made a low disapproving sound while Thorn tossed his head back and whined about it, but firmly led his sisters in with plans to have them clean his mess. Shaking his head, Hiccup cupped his father's hands. "And I promise to sit down and tell you everything. Toothless and I have good news, but I first have to attend to a meeting I've been putting aside for weeks."  
  
"Well carry on then, don't mean to make folks who've been waiting have to  _wait_. Gods forbid two years go by." Snickering, Hiccup rubbed the back of his head as he started into the palace. Behind him, he heard Stoick's booming voice, "Don't just stand around like a statue! Come and give your father-in-law a proper welcoming! Bet I can throw you in a friend one-on-one!"  
  
The twinge against his bond made him smile as he tilted his head back and watched Stoick pat Toothless' back with a sincere smile as he led the dragon into the gardens. The night fury's nervous smile disappeared when Hiccup and his eyes met, becoming a real, reassured one.  
  
And Hiccup knew that things would be all right, because the world was made to change and all he could do was go forward with it.  
  


The End

 

Fanart for "Dragon Claims and Human Change" can be found on my FF.net Bio page fanfiction.net/~selim


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